ERO Boston arrests foreign fugitive wanted for forgery charges in Cape Verde
BOSTON — Officers with Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston’s Fugitive Operations Team arrested a 49-year-old unlawfully present Cape Verdean woman in Whitman on March 9. The woman is wanted in Cape Verde on multiple charges of forgery.
“This individual believed she could get away with crimes in her native country and not be held accountable,” said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd Lyons. “ERO Boston continues to take our mission very seriously and will never give up on carrying it out. Those foreign fugitives who attempt to run from their own history and hide out in our region should think again.”
The woman remained in the U.S. for eight years after her tourist visa, which the U.S. government issued in 2015, expired.
In April 2016, Cape Verdean law enforcement authorities issued four charges of forgery, two charges of public document forgery and two charges of crimes of passive corruption against the woman in the Judicial District Court of Praia in Cape Verde.
A review of outstanding immigration fugitive cases alerted officials to her possible presence in ERO Boston’s jurisdiction. Immigration enforcement authorities began an investigation to confirm her whereabouts and apprehended her for immigration violations. Officers arrested the unlawfully present Cape Verdean without incident; she remains in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody pending the outcome of removal proceedings.
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 crimes or suspicious activity by calling 866-347-2423 or completing ICE’s online tip form.
Learn more about ERO’s mission in your community on Twitter @EROBoston.
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