ERO Boston arrests Guatemalan national charged with rape of Massachusetts child

BOSTON — Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston apprehended an unlawfully present Guatemalan national charged with raping a minor in Bristol County. Deportation officers from ERO Boston arrested Yader Alexander Morales-Quevedo, a 24-year-old, Guatemalan noncitizen in New Bedford.

“Yader Alexander Morales-Quevedo will have his day in court, but he is facing some very serious charges,” said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd M. Lyons. “He posed a significant threat to the children in our Massachusetts communities. ERO Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing egregious noncitizen offenders from our New England neighborhoods.”

Morales-Quevedo unlawfully entered the United States on an unknown date at an unknown location, and without being inspected, admitted or paroled by a U.S. immigration official.

The New Bedford District Court arraigned Morales-Quevedo Aug. 30, 2022, for the offense of rape of a child. The court upgraded the charges to be heard by the Superior Court.

The Bristol County Superior Court arraigned Morales-Quevedo Jan. 3, 2023, for the offenses of rape of a child and for child in nude, lascivious pose/exhibit.

Deportation officers from ERO Boston arrested Morales-Quevedo New Bedford May 28. He will remain in ERO custody pending the outcome of 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 Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review. 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.

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 with information regarding child sex 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.

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