ICE ERO Boston arrests Haitian gang member with numerous convictions

BOSTON – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston apprehended an illegally present 25-year-old Haitian national who has 17 criminal convictions in Massachusetts. ICE officers from ERO Boston arrested Wisteguens Jean Quely Charles, a member of a violent Haitian street gang, in Boston Jan. 22. Charles’ convictions include multiple drug, weapons, and assault and battery crimes.

“Mr. Charles is illegally present the United States and has consistently broken our laws causing significant harm to the residents of Massachusetts,” said acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “ERO Boston will not tolerate the repeated victimization of our New England neighborhoods. We will continue our mission to apprehend such illegal alien offenders and remove them from our communities.”

Charles entered the U.S. lawfully July 13, 2013 in Miami, Florida; however, he violated the terms of his lawful admission.

Charles has been arrested, charged, and convicted for 17 crimes between Aug. 16, 2022, and Aug. 14, 2024, including both possession of and possession to distribute controlled substances, distribution of controlled substances, trespassing, carrying dangerous weapon to wit brass knuckles, possession of a firearm without a permit and possession of ammunition without a permit, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery, and resisting arrest.

ICE ERO encountered Charles April 15, 2023, following one of these arrests. ERO Boston issued an immigration detainer against Charles with the Norfolk House of Correction in Massachusetts. However, the correctional facility released Charles Oct. 20, 2023, without honoring the immigration detainer.

Officers with ICE ERO Boston arrested Charles Jan. 22, in Boston and issued him a Notice to Appear before a DOJ immigration judge, and he remains in ICE custody.

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 with information regarding child sex offenders can report crimes or suspicious activity by dialing the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

Learn more about ERO Boston’s mission to increase public safety in our New England communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROBoston.