ERO Boston arrests unlawfully present man wanted for murder in Dominican Republic
BOSTON — Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston officers arrested an unlawfully present citizen of the Dominican Republic wanted by law enforcement authorities for homicide in the Dominican Republic in Springfield, Massachusetts, on April 11.
ERO Boston Fugitive Operations Team officers issued an immigration detainer for the Dominican fugitive following his arrest for unlicensed operation of a vehicle by the Springfield, Massachusetts, Police Department and after an international law enforcement background review revealed the citizen of the Dominican Republic is wanted for homicide in his home country. He was taken into ERO Boston custody on April 11, where he will remain pending the outcome of an upcoming immigration hearing.
“ERO Boston targets individuals who threaten to harm our communities. ERO is one of a select few law enforcement agencies that can make our communities safer by removing people who commit crimes or attempt to evade arrest by hiding in our neighborhoods,” said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd Lyons. “Be assured, our officers will continue to identify threats to the community and remove them expeditiously.”
The 30-year-old unlawfully present citizen of the Dominican Republic entered the United States via the U.S. Southern Border in December 2021. On December 31, 2021, he was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol in Hidalgo, Texas and transferred to ERO in McAllen, Texas, which later released him under an Alternatives to Detention program. On April 9, 2022, the Office of Judicial Services, Judicial District of Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic announced they were seeking the arrest of the Dominican native for the offense of Homicide.
Noncitizens placed into removal proceedings receive their legal due process from federal immigration judges in the immigration courts, which are administered by the Justice Department’s 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. ERO officers carry out the removal decisions made by the federal immigration judges.
ERO 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 and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws.
In fiscal year 2022, ERO arrested 46,396 noncitizens with criminal histories. This group had 198,498 associated charges and convictions, including 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.
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.
For more news and information on how the ERO Boston field office carries out its immigration enforcement mission, follow us on Twitter @EROBoston.
Members of the public who have information about foreign fugitives are urged to contact ICE by calling the ICE tip line at 866-347-2423 internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. They can also file a tip online by completing ICE’s online tip form. Callers may remain anonymous.
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