ICE arrests 40 in New England during 3-day operation targeting criminal aliens and immigration fugitives

BOSTON — Deportation officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested 40 criminal aliens and immigration violators throughout the New England region during a 3-day enforcement action from Sept. 20-22.

Some of the cities and towns that ERO deportation officers made arrests in during the operation, were: Bridgeport, Bristol, Danbury, Hartford, and Waterbury, Connecticut; in Boston, Brighton, Chelsea, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Mattapan, Woburn, Revere, and Somerville, and Quincy, Massachusetts; in Brentwood, Manchester, Nashua, and Northwood, New Hampshire; and in East Providence and Providence, Rhode Island.

Foreign nationals from the following countries were arrested during the operation: Mexico, El Salvador , Honduras, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Vietnam, Portugal, Ireland, Brazil, Jamaica, Cuba, Ecuador, among others.

Most of the aliens targeted by ERO deportation officers during this operation had prior criminal histories that included convictions for crimes such as: assault, burglary, drug trafficking, possession of narcotics, discharge of a firearm, domestic violence, sexual exploitation of minor ,driving under the influence, fraud, illegal entry, hit and run, larceny, weapons possession, and sex offenses, among other charges. “This operation has removed many dangerous individuals from the community and will help contribute to the safety and security throughout the entire region,” said Todd M. Lyons, acting field office director, ERO Boston. “Part of the ICE/ERO mission is to make our communities safer places to live in by removing criminals; operations like this do exactly that. I applaud the hard work and sheer determination of the dedicated professionals of ICE ERO Boston who make these vital operations possible.”

Eight of those arrested in this operation illegally re-entered the United States after having been previously deported, which is a felony. Depending on an alien’s criminality, an alien who re-enters the United States after having been previously deported commits a felony punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, if convicted. Four of those arrested have been presented for federal prosecution for re-entry after deportation so far.

The following are just a few examples of the criminal histories of offenders that were arrested in this operation:

On Sept. 20, 2018, ICE arrested a 22-year-old illegally present citizen of Guatemala, in Lynn, Massachusetts, who, although he had recently been arrested by local police on a charge of domestic assault & battery and strangulation of a pregnant victim, was released from a local correction facility after a detainer request issued by ICE was not honored. ICE ERO Boston arrested him following his release from state custody; he remains in ICE custody pending removal from the United States.

On Sept. 21, ICE officers arrested an illegally-present 39-year old citizen and national of El Salvador in Malden, Massachusetts, who was recently convicted of sexual exploitation of minor. He will remain in ICE custody pending the outcome of his removal proceedings.

On Sept. 20, ICE arrested a 27-year old illegally-present citizen of Guatemala in Cranston, Rhode Island, who had recently been convicted of aggravated domestic assault, who was the subject of a previous detainer request from ICE that had not been honored by local authorities. He will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

On Sept. 21, 2018, ERO Boston arrested an illegally-present citizen of El Salvador, in Chelsea, Massachusetts, who is facing charges for multiple crimes including leaving the scene of an accident and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. The subject, who has been identified as an active member of the Mara Salvatrucha criminal gang, had previously been removed from the U.S. in 2015; he will remain in ICE custody pending removal from the U.S.

The Boston area of responsibility includes all six states within the New England region.

All of the targets in this operation are amenable to arrest and removal under the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act. ICE deportation officers carry out targeted enforcement operations daily nationwide as part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to protect the nation, uphold public safety, and protect the integrity of our immigration laws and border controls.

These operations involve existing and established Fugitive Operations Teams.

During targeted enforcement operations, ICE officers frequently encounter other aliens illegally present in the United States. These aliens are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and, when appropriate, they are arrested by ICE officers.