ERO Boston removes Portuguese national wanted for drug trafficking
Convicted foreign fugitive Paulo Pacheco (center) was removed to Portugal by members of ERO Boston Fugitive Operations team Dec. 14.
BOSTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston field office, commonly called ERO Boston, removed an unlawfully present foreign fugitive wanted in Portugal Dec.14. The man is wanted in Portugal for drug trafficking.
Paulo Jorge Meneses Pacheco, 37, a citizen of Portugal, entered the United States lawfully in Dec. 2010 but violated the terms of his agreement when he failed to depart in March 2011. In 2015, the Court of Ponta Delgada in Portugal convicted Pacheco of the drug trafficking and sentenced him to 2 years 5 months imprisonment. He is subject to an active arrest warrant in Portugal related to this charge.
Officers from ERO Boston’s Fugitive Operations Team arrested Pacheco Oct. 26 in Fall River, Massachusetts.
“ERO Boston is committed to our public safety mission by ensuring that those who are wanted by foreign law enforcement authorities face justice,” said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd Lyons.
On Dec. 14, Pacheco was returned to Portugal via commercial flight. Upon arrival, he was turned over to Portuguese officials.
Members of the public who have information about foreign fugitives are urged to contact ICE by calling the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. They can also file a tip online by completing ICE’s online tip form.
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 foreign fugitives or fugitive arrest and removal cases involving people 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.
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