ERO New York City removes Hungarian fugitive wanted for attempted drug trafficking in his home country
NEW YORK — Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) New York City removed an unlawfully present noncitizen foreign fugitive Sept. 14 who is wanted by law enforcement authorities in his home country of Hungary for attempted drug trafficking.
Losonczi Andras, 40, was flown from John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens to Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport. Upon arrival in Hungary, officials turned Losonczi over to the proper authorities.
“ERO New York City will not tolerate those who attempt to exploit the immigration laws of the United States to evade prosecution in their home countries,” said ERO New York City Field Office Director Kenneth Genalo. “We will continue to collaborate with our international law enforcement partners to ensure these individuals are repatriated to their home countries to face justice.”
Losonczi entered the United States as a nonimmigrant on Jan. 28, 2014, at John F. Kennedy International Airport and violated the terms of his admission.
On Oct. 15, 2019, ERO New York City learned that Losonczi was wanted by Hungarian authorities. ERO New York City apprehended him without incident at his residence in Monroe on Jan. 3, 2020. On the same date, ERO New York City served him with a notice of intent to issue a final removal order charging removability as an alien who, after admission as a nonimmigrant, remained in the United States for longer than he was permitted to do so. The final order of removal was issued Jan. 7, 2020.
Losonczi proceeded through the immigration process from January 2020 through July 2023. On July 17, 2023, the Second Circuit Court issued a decision denying his petition for review and vacating the stay of removal order it had issued in October 2022.
Noncitizens placed into removal proceedings receive their legal due process from federal immigration judges in the immigration courts, which are administered by the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). 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. ICE officers carry out the removal decisions made by the federal immigration judges.
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 New York City’s mission to preserve public safety on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ERONewYork.
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