ERO Boston arrests unlawfully present fugitive convicted of document fraud in Brazil
BOSTON — Officers with Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston arrested a Brazilian national with an international arrest warrant in Burlington on Feb. 17. The fugitive had been convicted of document fraud and sentenced to two years in prison in Brazil.
The unlawfully present Brazilian citizen was removed twice previously from the United States and was arrested without incident.
“Fugitives from justice have no right to attempt to circumvent our legal immigration system to hide from their crimes,” said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd Lyons. “Due to the dedication of our officers, this individual is no longer able to evade justice and will have to face the consequences of his criminal activity in Brazil. Preventing the manipulation and abuse of the U.S. immigration system is one of ERO Boston’s core missions and I’m very proud of the professional men and women of ERO Boston whose important work is instrumental in its preservation.”
Following an arrest by local police in 2008, ERO Boston issued a detainer for the fugitive noncitizen, who was subsequently determined to have unlawfully entered the United States. He was placed into removal proceedings and immigration authorities allowed him to voluntarily depart the country, which he did in November 2008.
U.S. Border Patrol apprehended the fugitive noncitizen in June 2019 near Douglas, Arizona, after it was determined that he unlawfully entered the United States without inspection. He was charged with inadmissibility, issued a Notice to Appear before an immigration judge and released pending removal proceedings.
In August 2022, a Brazilian federal court convicted the fugitive and sentenced him to two years in prison by for use of a false document in the Coxim, a city in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. After Brazilian law enforcement authorities issued an international criminal warrant for his arrest, ERO Boston officials were alerted to his fugitive status and arrested him.
Pending the outcome of an immigration court hearing, the individual will remain in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. ICE will seek his removal.
In fiscal year 2022, ERO arrested 46,396 noncitizens with criminal histories; this group had 198,498 associated charges and convictions. These included 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.
ERO, a directorate of ICE, 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, who have violated our nation's immigration laws, including those who illegally re-enter the country after being removed and immigration fugitives ordered removed by federal immigration judges. ERO deportation officers assigned to Interpol also assist in targeting foreign fugitives for crimes committed abroad at-large in the U.S. ERO manages all aspects of the immigration enforcement process, including identification and arrest, detention, bond management, supervised release, transportation, and removal. Additionally, ERO repatriates noncitizens ordered removed from the U.S. to more than 150 countries worldwide.
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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