N O T FO R PUB L ICAT IO N UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C UITDAVID ANTONIO QUEZADAGONZALEZ, Pe titione r, v. LORETTA E. LYNC H, Attorne y Ge ne ra l, R

e sponde nt . No. 14-72526 Age n c y No. A099-539-214 M EM O R ANDUM *

On Pe tition for Re vie w of a n Orde r of the B oa rd of Im m igration Appe a ls Argue d a nd Subm itte d April 13, 2016 San Fran c isc o , C a lifornia B e fore : THOM AS, C hie f Judge and REINHAR DT a nd C HR ISTEN, C i rc uit Judge s . Pe titione r, a

native of El Sa lva dor, se e ks re vie w of a n orde r of re m ova l de ny ing sta

tutory withholding of rem ova l a nd prote c tion unde r the C onve ntion Aga inst Torture . W e have jurisdic tion pursua nt to 8 U.S.C . § 1252 a

nd gra nt the pe tition for re vie w in pa

rt. The B oa

rd of Im m igration Appe a ls la c ke d substa ntia l 

# FIL ED JUN 09 2016 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U
. S. CO URT O F APPEALS

* This disposition is not a ppropria te for public at ion a

nd is not pre c e de nt e xc e pt a s provide d

by 9th C ir. R . 36-3.e vide nc e for its finding tha t Que z a da -Gonz a le z did not ha ve a we ll-founde d fe ar of pe rse c ution in El Salva dor. Ga ng m e m be rs re c ogniz e d Que z a da -Gonz a le z a s a form e r polic e offic e r an d

se arc h e d for him in his ne ighborhood, forc ing him to fle e to his fa m ily m e m be rs’ hom e s in othe r towns. Ga ng m e m be rs found Que z a da
Gonz a le z at both his brothe r’ s house and his sister’ s house . Third pa rtie s re la y e d that the ga ng m e m be rs wa nte d to kill Que z a da -Gonz a le z and tha t the polic e ha d a pprove d the pla n to do so. As a

re sult, Que z a da -Gonz a le z fle d to theUnite d Stat e s re p e ate dly . Thre e individuals who a tte m pte d to wa

rn Que z a da -Gonz a le z a bout thega

n g m e m be rs’ se arc h, inc l uding Que z a d a -Gonz a l e z ’ s ne p he w, disa ppe are d or we re kille d. Although no ga ng m e m b e r dire c t ly

c om m unic ate d a thre at to Que z a da -Gonz a le z , re pe ate d indire c t thre ats giverise to a we ll-founde d fe ar of pe rse c ution. Se eK hup v . Ashc roft , 376 F.3d 898, 904 (9th C ir. 2004). The B oa rd a lso la c ke d substa

ntia l e vide n c e for its finding tha t Que z a da
Gonz a le z ’ s role in disrupting a pa rtic u la r c rim ina l inc i de nt a s a polic e offic e r c ould have a c c ounte d for a ll of thethre at s he re c e ive d. Although one ga ng m e m be r in Que z a da -Gonz a le z ’ s hom e town ide ntifie d Que z a da -Gonz a le z a s the offic e r who arre ste d him , the re is no e v i de nc e tha t Que z a da -Gonz a le z arre ste d the ga ng m e m b e rs who se arc he d for him in thea irport or thetowns whe re his siblings live d. Se eMadrigal v . Holde r , 716 F.3d 499, 506 & n.3 (9th C ir. 2013). 2Nor wa s the re substa ntia l e vide nc e tha

t Que z a da -Gonz a le z ’ s e x-wife ’ s pe rsona l re lationship with a ga ng m e m be r c a use d his pe rse c ution. Nothing in the re c o rd sugge ste d tha

t the ga ng m e m be rs who se arc he d for Que z a da -Gonz a le z in thre e diffe re nt towns had a ny inte ra c tion with the

ga ng m e m be r Que z a d a -Gonz a le z e nc ounte re d at his e x-wife ’ s hom e . Ac c ordingly , this re c ord c om pe ls the c onc lusion tha

t Que z a d a -Gonz a le z ’ s sta

tus a s a form e r polic e offic e r wa s “ one c e ntra l re a s on” for his pe rse c ution. Que z a da -Gonz a le z ’ s re que st for re lie f unde r the C onve ntion Against Torture wa s prope rly de n ie d. Que z a da -Gonz a le z wa s not torture d in thepa st. The B oa rd’ s finding tha

t it is not m

ore like ly tha n not tha t upon re turn to El Salva dor Que z a da -Gonz a le zwould betorture d by ga ng m e m b e rs with thec onse nt or a c quie sc e nc e of the gove rnm e nt wa s supporte d by substa ntia l e v ide nc e . Ea c h pa rty sha ll be a r its own c osts. PE T IT IO N G RANT E D IN PART , DE NIE D IN PART , AND RE M A NDE D.

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