ERO Boston arrests Haitian national charged locally with conspiracy, weapons, drug crimes

BOSTON — Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston apprehended a Haitian national charged in Massachusetts with conspiracy to violate drug laws, drug distribution, drug manufacturing and unlawfully carrying a dangerous weapon. Officers with ERO Boston arrested Gasnoy Saintilme Aug. 26 at the Worcester District Court in Worcester.

“Gasnoy Saintilme unlawfully entered the United States and has now been charged with conspiracy, weapons charges and attempting to manufacture and distribute poison in our Massachusetts communities,” said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd M. Lyons. “We are beyond pleased that our partners at the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office honored our immigration detainer and transferred custody of Saintilme to ERO officers. The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office remains a valued ally in our fight to prioritize public safety in our Massachusetts neighborhoods. ERO Boston will continue our efforts to arrest and remove egregious noncitizen offenders from New England.”

U.S Border Patrol encountered apprehended Saintilme Feb. 12, 2023, after he unlawfully entered the United States. U.S. Border Patrol served him with a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge. Later that day, Border Patrol officials released Saintilme on parole.

The Worcester, Massachusetts Police Department arrested SaintIlme March 7 and charged him with conspiracy to violate drug laws, and Class B substance distribution. Later that day, the Worcester District Court released Saintilme on recognizance.

"As Sheriff, I took an oath of office to protect the people of Worcester County," commented Worcester County Sheriff Lewis Evangelidis. "Part of that responsibility is working with our partners in law enforcement, including ICE. When ICE lodges an immigration detainer against an inmate at the Worcester County Jail and House of Correction, WCSO staff promptly notifies ICE when it is appropriate. This process and diligent work by WCSO staff ensure that ICE can take the necessary actions to safeguard our communities."

The Worcester Police Department again arrested Saintilme April 18 and charged him with carrying a dangerous weapon, Class B possession with intent to manufacture, and Class B substance distribution.

On April 19, ERO Boston lodged an immigration detainer against Saintilme with the Worcester District Court.

The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office notified ERO Boston that Saintilme was scheduled to post bail. Later that day, Saintilme posted cash bail Aug 26. Upon his posting bail, Worcester County Sheriff’s Deputies transferred custody of Saintilme to officers from ERO Boston honoring the ICE detainer. Saintilme remains in ERO custody.

As part of its mission to identify and arrest removable noncitizens, ERO lodges immigration detainers against noncitizens who have been arrested for criminal activity and taken into custody by state or local law enforcement. An immigration detainer is a request from ICE to state or local law enforcement agencies to notify ICE as early as possible before a removable noncitizen is released from their custody. Detainers request that state or local law enforcement agencies maintain custody of the noncitizen for a period not to exceed 48 hours beyond the time the individual would otherwise be released, allowing ERO to assume custody for removal purposes in accordance with federal law.

Detainers are critical public safety tools because they focus enforcement resources on removable noncitizens who have been arrested for criminal activity. Detainers increase the safety of all parties involved — ERO personnel, law enforcement officials, removable noncitizens and the public — by allowing an arrest to be made in a secure and controlled custodial setting as opposed to at-large within the community. Because detainers result in the direct transfer of a noncitizen from state or local custody to ERO custody, they also minimize the potential that an individual will reoffend. Additionally, detainers conserve scarce government resources by allowing ERO to take criminal noncitizens into custody directly rather than expending resources locating these individuals at-large.

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.