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January 11, 2023Boston, MA, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

ERO Boston arrests criminal fugitive wanted for homicide in Brazil

ERO Boston arrests criminal fugitive wanted for homicide in Brazil

BOSTON — Officers with Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston arrested Deann Pires de Mello, a Brazilian citizen wanted for aggravated homicide in Brazil near Framingham, Jan. 9.

Pires de Mello, 26, who had been previously encountered and placed into removal proceedings by U.S. Border Patrol near Hidalgo, Texas, July 26, 2019, was arrested by the Framingham Police Department for unlicensed use of an automobile, Jan. 8, 2022.

After a law enforcement check, local police determined Pires de Mello was wanted by Brazilian law enforcement authorities as a criminal fugitive on a charge of aggravated homicide in the province of Espirito Santo in Brazil. Framingham Police contacted ERO Boston fugitive operations for assistance.

“It is due to the committed, hard work of ERO officers, coupled with the critical assistance of our Brazilian law enforcement partners, that this criminal fugitive is off the streets of our community”, said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd Lyons. “We seek to ensure that Pires de Mello faces justice for these very serious charges. ICE remains committed to arresting criminal foreign fugitives who attempt to evade prosecution for crimes in their home country.”

ERO officers make enforcement decisions on a case-by-case basis in responsible manner, informed by their experience as law enforcement professionals and in a way that best protects against the greatest threats to the homeland. Pires de Mello faces removal proceedings pending the outcome of an upcoming scheduled hearing before an immigration judge.

Noncitizens placed into removal proceedings receive their legal due process from federal immigration judges in the immigration courts, which are administered by the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). EOIR is an agency within the U.S. Department of Justice and is separate from the Department of Homeland Security and ICE. Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case. ICE officers carry out the removal decisions made by the federal immigration judges.

In fiscal year 2022, ERO arrested 46,396 noncitizens with criminal histories; this group had 198,498 associated charges and convictions. These included 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.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) ERO directorate upholds U.S. immigration law at, within, and beyond our borders. ERO operations target public safety threats, such as convicted criminal noncitizens and gang members, as well as individuals who have otherwise violated our nation's immigration laws, including those who illegally re-entered the country after being removed and immigration fugitives ordered removed by federal immigration judges. ERO deportation officers assigned to Interpol also assist in targeting foreign fugitives or Fugitive Arrest and Removal (FAR) cases for crimes committed abroad at-large in the U.S. ERO manages all aspects of the immigration enforcement process, including identification and arrest, detention, bond management, supervised release, as well as transportation and removal. In addition, ERO repatriates noncitizens ordered removed from the U.S. to more than 170 countries around the world.

Members of the public can report crimes or suspicious activity by calling 866-347-2423 or completing ICE’s online tip form.

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