ERO Boston arrests Colombian citizen charged with crimes against a child

BOSTON – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston arrested a Colombian citizen unlawfully present in the United States Oct. 29. The Boston Police Department previously arrested him Oct. 16 on charges of enticing a child under 16, distribution of obscene matter, and lascivious posing and exhibiting a child in the nude.

Mateo Hincapie Cardona, 28, is currently in custody pending removal proceedings. ERO Boston lodged an immigration detainer with the Suffolk County House of Corrections, who failed to honor the detainer and released him from their custody Oct. 19.

“This individual is charged with committing heinous crimes against a child, which show him to be a distinct threat to our Massachusetts community,” said ERO Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “We remain committed to enforcing immigration law and prioritizing community safety, particularly as it impacts our most vulnerable citizens.”

U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered Cardona April 26 near Lukeville, Ariz., where they arrested and released him the same day on his own recognizance.

The Charlestown District Court arraigned Cardona Oct. 16 on charges of enticing a child under 16, distribution of obscene matter, and lascivious posing and exhibiting a child in the nude. ERO Boston lodged a detainer that day, which the Suffolk County House of Corrections confirmed they received. Officers from ERO Boston located and arrested Cardona in East Boston after learning the detainer had not been honored.