ERO New York City arrests unlawfully present Honduran national convicted of sexual offenses against a minor

NEW YORK — On Sept. 12, Enforcement and Removal Operations New York City arrested a citizen of Honduras convicted by the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, March 13, 2019, for unlawful sexual contact with a minor, corruption of minors where the defendant is age 18 or above, and indecent assault of a person less than 13 years old. The noncitizen was sentenced to six to 12 months of confinement.

Officers from the ERO NYC Newburgh office arrested the 40-year-old sex offender at the Otisville Federal Correctional Facility pursuant to a warrant of removal. He will remain in custody pending removal to Honduras.

“This sexual predator has not only shown a complete disregard for our nation’s immigration laws, but he has proven a significant threat to our youngest residents and the community as a whole,” said ERO NYC Field Office Director Kenneth Genalo. “Our officers will relentlessly pursue heinous predators who prey on our children and remove them from the United States.”

U.S. Border Patrol apprehended the Honduran citizen April 4, 2005, served him a notice to appear and placed him into removal proceedings. On Aug. 24, 2005, an immigration judge ordered him removed from the United States and on Feb. 28, 2007, he was removed from the United States to Honduras.

The noncitizen unlawfully reentered the United States on several occasions and each time was served with a notice of intent/decision to reinstate prior order of removal. He was subsequently removed from the United States to Honduras April 27, 2011; June 23, 2017; and May 18, 2020.

In addition to the aforementioned sex crimes, the noncitizen has two federal convictions for reentry after deportation for which he was twice sentenced to 11 months of imprisonment. He also has one conviction for DUI where he was sentenced to 6 months of probation.

ERO uses intelligence driven operations that target public safety threats, such as convicted criminal noncitizens and gang members, who have violated our nation's immigration laws, including those who illegally reenter the country after being removed and immigration fugitives ordered removed by federal immigration judges. ERO officers prioritize enforcement actions in accordance with the Guidelines for the Enforcement of Civil Immigration Law issued by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas on Sept. 30, 2021, and reinstituted on June 28 — obtaining and reviewing entire criminal and administrative records and any other investigative information available when taking decisive law enforcement actions.

ERO is a directorate of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and 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 crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-347-2423 or completing ICE’s online tip form.

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