ERO Boston arrests noncitizen wanted for rape in Ecuador

WORCESTER, Mass. - Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston apprehended an Ecuadoran national wanted for raping a woman in his home country. Deportation officers from ERO Boston arrested the 30-year-old Ecuadoran national April 4 at his residence in Worcester.

"This Ecuadoran noncitizen is wanted for sexually assaulting a woman in his home country," said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd M. Lyons. "Every minute he was walking free represented a threat to the residents of our communities. ERO Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by aggressively pursuing and apprehending any noncitizen attempting to use New England neighborhoods to evade justice."

The Ecuadoran noncitizen entered the United States Aug. 31, 2022, in Miami, Florida, on a visa that allowed him to remain until Sept. 13, 2022. He failed to depart the United States as required.

The National Criminal Analysis and Targeting Center confirmed the possible presence of Ecuadoran national in the United States in violation of immigration law. It notified ERO Boston of the noncitizen's possible presence in Massachusetts and that authorities in Ecuador had been seeking his apprehension since Feb. 2, 2022.

ERO Boston confirmed the noncitizen's presence in Worcester, and on April 4, deportation officers from ERO Boston arrested the Ecuadoran noncitizen at his residence. He will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ERO manages multiple programs and initiatives to assist its deportation officers in the identification and arrest of removable noncitizens. ERO's Targeting Operations comprises three centers that apply technical capabilities, analytical tools and law enforcement expertise to generate intelligence-driven leads to identify removable noncitizens.

• The Law Enforcement Support Center serves as a single point of contact for federal, state, and local law enforcement partners by providing real-time data on criminal noncitizens.
• The National Criminal Analysis and Targeting Center analyzes data in numerous law enforcement and immigration databases to develop leads on removable noncitizens. These leads are delivered to ERO's 25 field offices for additional analysis and possible enforcement action.
• The Pacific Enforcement Response Center uses technology and best practices to deliver real-time leads and referrals to increase the operational efficiency of ERO's targeted enforcement actions.

At-large arrests take place when ICE officers conduct enforcement actions based on intelligence-driven leads in communities nationwide. In other words, at-large arrests indicate that ERO officers conducted a targeted enforcement action within a community rather than the confines of a prison or jail.

ERO conducts removals of individuals without a lawful basis to remain in the United States, including at the order of immigration judges with the Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). EOIR is a separate entity from the Department of Homeland Security and ICE. Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case, determining if a noncitizen is subject to a final order of removal or eligible for certain forms of relief from removal.

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 with information regarding child sex offenders are encouraged to report crimes or suspicious activity by dialing the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

Learn more about ERO Boston's mission to increase public safety in our New England communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROBoston.

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