ERO Boston apprehends Brazilian sex offender in Martha’s Vineyard
BOSTON — Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston arrested an undocumented Brazilian sex offender Nov. 14 on Martha’s Vineyard. Deportation officers from ERO Boston’s Fugitive Operations Team South apprehended the 37-year-old noncitizen near his residence in West Tisbury. The Brazilian national is wanted by authorities in his home country for failure to serve a prison sentence for raping a 5-year-old child.
“This undocumented Brazilian national represented a significant threat to the inhabitants of Martha’s Vineyard,” said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd Lyons. “He sexually assaulted a five-year-old child in his homeland and then ran from authorities when held accountable for his actions. ERO Boston will not allow such predators to threaten our residents. We will continue to apprehend and remove anyone who attempts to use our New England community as a refuge from justice.”
The Brazilian national received multiple criminal convictions for raping a child and was sentenced to 14 years in prison. After his convictions and before sentencing, the Brazilian citizen fled the country.
In May 2019, upon his failure to appear for his sentence, the 2nd Criminal Court of Sorriso in the town of Sorriso, Mato Grosso, Brazil, issued a warrant for his arrest.
The undocumented noncitizen unlawfully entered the United States on an unknown date at an unknown location without being inspected or admitted by an immigration official.
ERO Boston learned of the Brazilian national’s presence on Martha’s Vineyard on Sept. 28.
ERO Boston’s Fugitive Operations Team South apprehended him during a vehicle stop and served him with a notice to appear before a Department of Justice (DOJ) immigration judge. The Brazilian national will remain in ERO custody pending his removal proceedings.
ERO conducts removals of individuals without a lawful basis to remain in the United States, including at the order of immigration judges with the DOJ’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). EOIR is a separate entity from DHS and 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 2022, ERO arrested 46,396 noncitizens with criminal histories. This group had 198,498 associated charges and convictions, including 21,531 assault offenses; 8,164 sex and sexual assault offenses; 5,554 weapons offenses; 1,501 homicide-related offenses; and 1,114 kidnapping offenses.
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 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 866-347-2423 (866-DHS-2ICE) or completing the online tip form.
Learn more about ERO Boston’s mission to preserve public safety on X, formerly known as Twitter, @EROBoston.
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