ERO Denver removes fugitive wanted for sex assault and rape in Costa Rica

DENVER - Officers with Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Denver removed a fugitive wanted in Costa Rica May 7.

Jairo Arnoldo Matamoros Solorzano, 47, is a citizen and national of Costa Rica and is wanted in Costa Rica for rape. Matamoros was removed from Denver to the Juan Santamaria International Airport and was turned over to local authorities in Costa Rica.

"This arrest and removal demonstrate the importance of ERO's public safety mission and the work our officers do every day to keep U.S. residents from harm," said ERO Denver acting Field Office Director Arthur J. Wilson Jr. "I applaud the professionalism of our officers in ensuring that this transfer happened smoothly and without incident."

Matamoros was encountered by the U.S. Coast Guard during a routine vessel inspection at sea March 9, 2021. During this inspection Matamoros was found to have narcotics aboard his boat and was arrested for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana. He was ultimately charged and convicted of these offenses Dec. 1, 2022, and was imprisoned for a term of 51 months by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

He was released from custody to ERO officers in Los Angeles and subsequently transferred to the Denver Contract Detention Facility in Aurora to complete his immigration proceedings until the date of his removal. While in ERO custody, ERO became aware of a warrant for his arrest in Costa Rica for sexual assault and rape.

ERO officers make enforcement decisions on a case-by-case basis in responsible manner, informed by their experience as law enforcement professionals and in a way that best protects against the greatest threats to the homeland.

Noncitizens placed into removal proceedings receive their legal due process from federal immigration judges in the immigration courts, which are administered by the Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). EOIR is an agency within the U.S. Department of Justice and is separate from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case. ICE officers carry out the removal decisions made by the federal immigration judges.

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.

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 can report crimes or suspicious activity by calling 866-347-2423 or completing ICE's online tip form.

Learn more about ERO's mission to increase public safety in your community on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ERODenver.

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