ERO Baltimore apprehends and removes unlawfully present Nigerian national convicted of armed robbery in Maryland

BALTIMORE — Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Baltimore arrested an unlawfully present 30-year-old Nigerian national convicted in 2013 of armed robbery in Maryland. Deportation officers from ERO Baltimore’s Fugitive Operations Team apprehended the Nigerian noncitizen March 19 at his residence in Bowie. ERO Baltimore removed him from the United States March 21.

“This unlawfully present Nigerian national constituted a significant threat to our Maryland residents,” said ERO Baltimore Field Office Director Darius Reeves. “He entered the United States under false pretenses and then proceeded to commit a violent felony. ERO Baltimore will continue to tenaciously work to apprehend and remove such violent criminals from our Maryland communities.”

The Nigerian national entered the United States as a nonimmigrant at Dulles International Airport in Virginia Feb. 3, 2003. However, he confessed to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that he used documents bearing a false name and date of birth to enter the United States.

On Jan. 6, 2008, the Nigerian noncitizen filed an application to register permanent residence or adjust status with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The agency denied his application April 18, 2008.

On July 12, 2011, the District Court for Prince George's County charged the Nigerian national for the offense of controlled substance: possession with intent to distribute; trespassing; gambling developed to evade law; and controlled substance: possess with intent to distribute: school bus property.

ERO Baltimore apprehended the Nigerian national July 13, 2011, and served him a notice to appear before a Department of Justice (DOJ) immigration judge. Later that day, ERO Baltimore transferred the Nigerian noncitizen into ERO Philadelphia’s custody.

ERO Philadelphia transferred the Nigerian national into ERO Dallas’ custody July 22, 2011.

The District Court of Prince George's County in Upper Marlboro dismissed all charges against the him Aug. 9, 2011.

On Feb. 21, 2012, the DOJ immigration judge granted the him voluntary departure under safeguards until April 6, 2012. He failed to depart the United States in that timeframe.

ERO Dallas transferred the Nigerian noncitizen to ERO New Orleans April 19, 2012.

ERO New Orleans served him with an order of supervision Jan. 10, 2013, and released him from custody as there was no significant likelihood of his being removed in the reasonably foreseeable future.

The Prince George’s County Police Department arrested him Feb. 27, 2013, and charged him with two counts of armed robbery, burglary first degree, two counts of assault first degree, two counts of assault second degree, and firearm use/felony violent crime.

On July 26, 2013, the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County convicted him of conspiracy armed robbery and dismissed the other charges. The court sentenced him to 20 years of imprisonment, but suspended all 20 years of the prison sentence.

The Prince George’s Police Department arrested the Nigerian noncitizen Oct. 6, 2016, and charged him with murder first degree, murder second degree, assault first degree, assault second degree, firearm use/felony violent crime, handgun on person and reckless endangerment.

On Nov. 3, 2016, the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County in Upper Marlboro dismissed all charges against him.

The Embassy of Nigeria in Washington, D.C., issued a travel document to facilitate the noncitizen’s removal from the United States Feb. 1.

Deportation officers from ERO Baltimore’s Fugitive Operations Team arrested the Nigerian noncitizen March 19 at his residence in Bowie.

On March 21, ERO Baltimore removed the Nigerian national from the United States to Nigeria.

ERO conducts removals of individuals without a lawful basis to remain in the United States, including at the order of immigration judges with the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). EOIR is a separate entity from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case, determining if a noncitizen is subject to a final order of removal or eligible for certain forms of relief from removal.

In fiscal year 2023, ERO made 170,590 administrative arrests, a 19.5% increase over the previous year. ERO arrested 73,822 noncitizens with a criminal history; those arrested had an average of four charges and convictions per individual, including more than 33,209 charges or convictions for assault, 7,520 for weapons offenses, 1,713 for homicide-related offenses, and 1,615 for kidnapping. Removals also included 3,406 known or suspected gang members, 139 known or suspected terrorists, seven human rights violators, and 108 foreign fugitives wanted by their governments for crimes including homicide, rape, terrorism and kidnapping. Also in fiscal year 2023, ERO conducted 142,580 removals to more than 170 countries worldwide.

As one of ICE’s three operational directorates, ERO is the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency’s detained and non-detained populations and the repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO’s workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.

Members of the public can report crime and suspicious activity by calling 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the ICE online tip form.

Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in Maryland communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROBaltimore.