ERO Boston arrests Colombian national convicted of sex crime in Massachusetts

BOSTON — Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston apprehended a 44-year-old Colombian national and convicted sex offender Feb. 14 in East Boston. Deportation officers from ERO Boston apprehended the Colombian noncitizen, who was convicted of indecent assault and battery of a person over the age of 14 in December 2022, during a nationwide law enforcement effort that netted 275 noncitizen sex offenders. The nationwide operation ran from Feb. 5 to Feb. 16.

“This Colombian sex offender not only broke our immigration laws; he victimized a Massachusetts resident,” said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd M. Lyons. “We cannot allow such threats to roam the streets of our New England communities. ERO Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing such threats from our neighborhoods.”

U.S. Border Patrol arrested the Colombian noncitizen in August 2022, near San Luis, Arizona, served him with a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge, and released him on his own recognizance.

Police in Massachusetts apprehended him in September 2022 and charged him with indecent assault and battery on a person over 14. The Dedham District Court arraigned him on those charges.

He pleaded guilty in December 2022, and the court sentenced him to probation for one year.

Deportation officers from ERO Boston apprehended the Colombian noncitizen Feb. 14 in near his residence in East Boston and took him into custody. He will remain in ERO custody pending removal proceedings.

This apprehension was part of a nationwide enforcement effort targeting noncitizens with sexual offenses. Deportation officers from ERO field offices arrested 275 individuals presenting significant threats to public safety. By using an intelligence-driven enforcement model, ERO Boston makes efficient use of limited resources to promote public safety in communities throughout New England.

ERO officers evaluate individuals on a case-by-case basis, assessing the totality of the facts and circumstances to make informed arrest determinations. Those cases amenable to federal criminal prosecution can be presented to the U.S. attorney's office. ERO also coordinates with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to evaluate the completion of relevant noncitizen applications.

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. 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 arrested 73,822 noncitizens with criminal histories; this group had 290,178 associated charges and convictions with an average of four per individual. These included 33,209 assaults; 4,390 sex and sexual assaults; 7,520 weapons offenses; 1,713 charges or convictions for homicide; and 1,655 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 crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

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