ERO Boston arrests Brazilian fugitive wanted for rape

BOSTON — Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston apprehended a Brazilian fugitive wanted by authorities in his home country to serve a prison term that resulted from an October 2023 rape conviction. Deportation officers from ERO Boston arrested the 55-year-old Brazilian noncitizen July 31 near his residence in Fall River.

“This Brazilian fugitive attempted to flee justice in his home country and hide out in Massachusetts,” said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd M. Lyons. “Thanks to the officers of ERO Boston, he will now be handed over to Brazilian authorities to serve his prison sentence. ERO Boston will not allow the world’s criminals to use New England as a hideout. We will continue to apprehend and remove egregious noncitizen offenders.”

The Brazilian fugitive lawfully entered the United States April 26 in Detroit, Michigan. However, he violated the terms of his lawful admission.

Brazilian authorities are currently seeking custody of the Brazilian fugitive. He is wanted for failure to serve a sentence after an Oct. 31, 2023, conviction for rape. Once returned to Brazil, he is facing a penalty of 10 years and six months in prison.

Deportation officers from ERO Boston arrested the Brazilian fugitive July 31 near his residence in Fall River. They served him with a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge. The fugitive remains in ERO custody.

ERO conducts removals of individuals without a lawful basis to remain in the United States, including at the order of immigration judges with Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review. The Executive Office for Immigration Review is a separate entity from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 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.

Members of the public with information regarding noncitizen offenders can report crimes or suspicious activity by dialing the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

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.

Learn more about ERO Boston’s mission to increase public safety in our New England communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROBoston.