Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston’s Fugitive Operations Team arrested a Brazilian national on Feb. 21 in Malden.

In September 2019, a criminal court in the Brazilian city of Itambacuri convicted the man of financial fraud and sentenced him to serve a three-year, four-month prison sentence. Following his conviction in Brazil, officials discovered that he subsequently entered the United States unlawfully.

“Once again, the men and women of ERO Boston safely apprehended a convicted foreign fugitive who was evading justice in his own country by attempting to hide in the Boston area,” said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd Lyons. “I am immensely proud of our ERO Boston team of law enforcement professionals, who apprehended this fugitive with the critical support of our international and local law enforcement partners. Their tireless work helps protect all residents and makes our communities a safer place for families to live and work.”

In April 2021, the U.S. Border Patrol apprehended the man near San Luis, Arizona, after officials determined he entered the U.S. unlawfully. After charging him with inadmissibility under U.S. immigration law, authorities issued him a Notice to Appear before a federal immigration judge and released him on an order of recognizance pending the outcome of a scheduled hearing.

ERO Boston officials were alerted earlier this month to his fugitive status via an international criminal warrant issued by Brazilian authorities. They began an investigation to confirm his presence in the ERO Boston area of responsibility. ERO officers located and apprehended him without incident in the city of Malden on Feb.21, and he will remain in ICE custody pending the outcome of an upcoming hearing in an immigration court.

In fiscal year 2022, ERO arrested 46,396 noncitizens with criminal histories; this group had 198,498 associated charges and convictions. These included 21,531 assault offenses; 8,164 sex and sexual assault offenses; 5,554 weapons offenses; 1,501 homicide-related offenses; and 1,114 kidnapping offenses.

ERO, a directorate of ICE, upholds U.S. immigration law at, within, and beyond our borders. ERO operations target public safety threats, such as convicted criminal noncitizens and gang members, who have violated our nation's immigration laws, including those who illegally re-enter the country after being removed and immigration fugitives ordered removed by federal immigration judges. ERO deportation officers assigned to Interpol also assist in targeting foreign fugitives for crimes committed abroad at-large in the U.S. ERO manages all aspects of the immigration enforcement process, including identification and arrest, detention, bond management, supervised release, transportation, and removal. Additionally, ERO repatriates noncitizens ordered removed from the U.S. to more than 150 countries worldwide.

Members of the public can report crimes or suspicious activity by calling 866-347-2423 or completing ICE’s online tip form.

Learn more about ERO’s mission in your community on Twitter @EROBoston.

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