ERO Boston arrests Peruvian fugitive convicted in Argentina of drug trafficking crime

HARTFORD, Conn. — Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston apprehended an unlawfully present Peruvian fugitive convicted of drug trafficking in Argentina. Deportation officers with ERO Boston’s Hartford field office arrested the 39-year-old Peruvian fugitive July 25 in Hartford.

“This Peruvian fugitive has repeatedly ignored U.S. immigration laws and attempted to hide from justice in Connecticut,” said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd M. Lyons. “We cannot allow our New England neighborhoods to become safe havens from the world’s criminals. ERO Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing egregious noncitizen offenders.”

U.S. Border Patrol arrested the Peruvian national Jan. 7, 2011, after he unlawfully entered the United States near McAllen, Texas. The Peruvian noncitizen claimed to be a citizen of Mexico and was granted a voluntary return to Mexico.

U.S. Border Patrol officials again arrested the Peruvian national Jan. 14, 2011, after he unlawfully reentered the United States near McAllen, Texas. This time, he claimed to be a Guatemalan citizen.

On Feb.11, 2011, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services served the Peruvian national with a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge.

The Department of Justice immigration judge ordered him removed from the United States to Peru April 25, 2011.

ERO removed the noncitizen from the United States to Peru June 2, 2011.

U.S. Border Patrol again arrested him Sept. 3, 2022, the after he unlawfully reentered the United States near Eagle Pass, Texas. Officials issued him a reinstatement of prior removal order and transferred his custody to ERO Laredo.

On Sept. 6, 2022, ERO Laredo enrolled the Peruvian national into the Alternatives to Detention program and released him on an order of supervision.

Argentine authorities currently seek custody of the Peruvian fugitive to serve a prison sentence stemming from his drug trafficking conviction in Argentina.

Deportation officers with ERO Boston’s Hartford field office arrested the Peruvian fugitive July 25 in Hartford. He remains in ERO custody.

ERO is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that protects the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of our communities and the integrity of our immigration laws.

Entering the United States without authorization is a violation of federal law, and those who do so many be subject to administrative arrest, and in some cases, criminal prosecution.

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.