ICE removes Salvadoran foreign fugitive, known gang member

MINNEAPOLIS — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Minneapolis/Saint Paul Field Office, with assistance from ERO El Salvador and the Security Alliance for Fugitive Enforcement Task Force, removed an unlawfully present noncitizen foreign fugitive and known 18th Street gang member on May 20.

Salvadoran citizen Raul Antonio Lovo, aka Raul Brian Lovo, 34, who is wanted in El Salvador for rape against a minor, extortion and two charges of affiliation with a terrorist organization, was flown from Saint Paul, Minnesota to El Salvador on a flight coordinated by ICE’s Air Operations Unit. Upon arrival, the fugitive was turned over to officials from El Salvador.

Lovo illegally entered the U.S. without inspection on an unknown date and at unknown location. ICE ERO arrested Lovo during a targeted enforcement operation on May 4, pursuant to an outstanding warrant of removal and multiple Salvadoran warrants.

An immigration judge with the Executive Office for Immigration Review issued a final order of removal for Lovo on June 26, 2019. On Aug. 24, 2021, Lovo absconded and was designated an ICE fugitive.

Members of the public who have information about foreign fugitives are urged to contact ICE by calling the ICE Tip Line at 1(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.

Regardless of nationality, ICE makes custody determinations on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with U.S. law and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policy, considering the merits and factors of each case while adhering to current agency priorities and guidelines. ICE focuses its civil immigration enforcement priorities on the apprehension and removal of noncitizens who pose a threat to our national security, public safety, and border security.

Learn more about ICE’s ERO in your community @EROSaintPaul.