ERO Washington, D.C. apprehends Peruvian national charged with sex crimes against Virginia minor
WASHINGTON — Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C. apprehended an undocumented noncitizen charged with sexually abusing a Virginia minor. Deportation officers with ERO Washington, D.C.’s Mobile Criminal Apprehension Team and Special Response Team arrested the Peruvian national near his residence in Arlington, Virginia, Oct. 19.
“This undocumented noncitizen allegedly committed unspeakable acts against a child,” said ERO Washington, D.C. Assistant Field Office Director Erik Weiss. “He has no legal basis to remain in the United States, and he poses a threat to the residents of his community. ERO Washington, D.C. will continue our efforts to apprehend criminals who are released back in the local population when a detainer is not honored. We will remove such threats from our communities.”
The Peruvian national unlawfully entered the United States at an unknown place on an unknown date without being admitted or inspected by an immigration official. U.S. Border Patrol encountered the noncitizen in March 2022 and issued him a notice to appear before a Department of Justice (DOJ) immigration judge.
The Fairfax County Police Department in Fairfax, Virginia, arrested the Peruvian noncitizen for the offense of petit larceny in October 2022. ERO Washington, D.C. reissued the notice to appear before a DOJ immigration judge following this arrest.
The Fairfax County General District Court deferred the noncitizen’s conviction May 18.
The Fairfax County Police Department again arrested the Peruvian national July 24 and charged him with two counts of felony sodomy of a victim under 13 years of age; two counts of felony sexual penetration of a victim under 13 years of age; three counts of aggravated sexual battery of a victim under 13 years of age; and one count of misdemeanor French kiss of a child under 13 years of age. These charges are currently pending.
The next day, ERO Washington, D.C. lodged an immigration detainer against the Peruvian noncitizen with the Fairfax Adult Detention Center.
The Fairfax County Adult Detention Center ignored ERO Washington, D.C.’s immigration detainer and released the noncitizen Sept. 28.
Deportation officers from ERO Washington, D.C.’s Mobile Criminal Apprehension Team and Special Response Team apprehended the Peruvian national during a traffic stop near his residence in Arlington, Virginia, Oct. 19.
ERO conducts removals of individuals without a lawful basis to remain in the United States, including at the order of immigration judges with the DOJ’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.
As one of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) 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.
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