ERO Boston arrests multiple sex offenders during national operation
BOSTON — Deportation officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston Field Office apprehended six unlawfully present noncitizens convicted of sex offenses during a nationwide enforcement effort Oct. 22 through Nov. 4. The law enforcement action conducted by ERO resulted in a total of 138 arrests nationally, including some with an executable final order of removal.
“Today there are fewer convicted sex offenders in our communities due to the work of the officers with ERO. Public safety is our utmost priority, and this operation exemplifies our goal by getting predators and those who commit sexual violence off the streets,” said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd Lyons.
This enforcement operation was implemented to address unlawfully present noncitizens convicted of sex offenses. Cases amenable to federal criminal prosecution may be presented to the appropriate U.S. attorney’s office. Individuals listed here will remain in ICE custody pending immigration proceedings.
ERO arrested the following people in the Boston Field Office area of responsibility, which includes all of New England:
- A 29-year-old citizen of Jamaica in Waterbury, Connecticut, convicted of two counts of fourth-degree felony sexual assault by the Superior Court in Bridgeport, Connecticut
- A 48-year-old citizen of Guatemala in Danbury, Connecticut, convicted of voyeurism, risk of injury to child and violation of probation by the Connecticut Superior Court in Danbury
- A 26-year-old citizen of Honduras in Portland, Maine, convicted of two felony counts of unlawful sexual contact with a minor by the Kennebec County Court in Augusta, Maine
- A 35-year-old citizen of Brazil in Lowell, Massachusetts, convicted of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 years of age by the Lowell, Massachusetts District Court
- A 24-year-old citizen of El Salvador in New Bedford, Massachusetts, convicted of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 years of age by the New Bedford, Massachusetts District Court
- A 27-year-old citizen of El Salvador in Revere, Massachusetts, convicted of felony possession of child pornography by the Malden District Court in Medford, Massachusetts
ICE officers make enforcement decisions on a case-by-case basis in a professional and responsible manner, informed by their experience as law enforcement officials and in a way that best protects against the greatest threats to the homeland.
Noncitizens placed into removal proceedings receive their legal due process from federal immigration judges in the immigration courts, which are administered by the Executive Office for Immigration Review. 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 removal decisions made by federal immigration judges.
In fiscal year 2021, ERO arrested 12,025 individuals with aggravated felony convictions. Offenses associated with noncitizens arrested in FY 2021 included 1,506 homicide related offenses, 3,415 sexual assaults, 19,549 assaults, 2,717 robberies and 1,063 kidnappings.
ICE’s 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 reentered the country after being removed and immigration fugitives ordered removed by federal immigration judges. ERO deportation officers assigned to Interpol also assist in targeting and apprehending foreign fugitives or fugitive arrest and removal cases who are wanted for crimes committed abroad and who are now at-large in the United States. ERO manages all aspects of the immigration enforcement process, including identification and arrest, detention, bond management, supervised release, 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 and suspicious activity by dialing 866-347-2423 or completing the online tip form.
Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in your community on Twitter @EROBoston.
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