ERO Boston removes fugitive wanted for aggravated homicide of a minor in Brazil

BOSTON — Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston deportation officers removed an unlawfully present Brazilian national who is wanted in Brazil by law enforcement authorities for aggravated homicide of a child under the age of 14.

ERO Boston removed 52-year-old Antonio Dos Santos from the United States to Brazil Feb. 23 after arresting him on federal immigration violations near his residence in Plymouth on Oct. 18, 2023.

“Antonio Dos Santos was not only in violation of U.S. immigration laws; he is also facing some very serious charges in his home country,” said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd Lyons. “ERO Boston will not allow such criminals to abuse U.S. immigration laws to evade criminal charges. Our committed team of professional officers stands ready to locate, apprehend and remove unlawfully present egregious offenders from our New England communities.”

In May 2021, Dos Santos unlawfully entered the United States near San Luis, Arizona, and U.S. Border Patrol apprehended and processed him. In June 2021 he was released on his own recognizance pending a future immigration hearing with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services but failed to report.

He is wanted in Brazil for a July 2021 felony criminal charge of aggravated homicide. After being alerted to the fugitive’s potential presence within its area of responsibility, ERO Boston initiated an investigation and apprehended him without incident. Dos Santos remained in ERO Boston custody during his removal proceedings in federal immigration court. He was removed to Brazil by ERO Boston officers via air on Feb. 23.

ERO conducts removals of individuals without a lawful basis to remain in the United States, including at the order of immigration judges with the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). EOIR is a separate entity from DHS and ICE. 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.

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.

Members of the public can report crime and suspicious activity by calling 866-347-2423 or completing the online tip form.

Learn more about ERO Boston’s mission to preserve public safety on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROBoston.