Officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston have arrested a fugitive on Martha’s Vineyard who is wanted by Brazilian authorities to serve a 10-year prison sentence for international drug trafficking. The 36-year-old Brazilian national was apprehended on September 17 in Oak Bluffs.
“This fugitive was convicted of international drug crimes in Brazil, and instead of serving his debt to society, he chose to run and hide on Martha’s Vineyard,” said ERO Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “Our officers are the best in the world at finding people who don’t want to be found. ERO Boston will continue our mission to prioritize public safety by apprehending and removing egregious noncitizen offenders from our New England communities.”
Read: Border Crisis: Children Drugged, Abused, Trafficked Amid Record Illegal Crossings
The Brazilian national initially entered the U.S. legally on March 7, 2020, in Orlando, Florida, but later violated the terms of his admission. He had been convicted of international drug trafficking by a Brazilian court on May 10, 2012, and was sentenced to 10 years and two months in prison.
After receiving intelligence indicating the fugitive was residing in ERO Boston’s area of operations, officers arrested him in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts, on September 17. He remains in ERO custody pending removal proceedings.
ERO is responsible for removing individuals who do not have a lawful basis to remain in the U.S., including those ordered for removal by immigration judges under the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). EOIR operates independently of the Department of Homeland Security and ICE, and immigration judges determine whether individuals are subject to removal or eligible for relief based on each case’s merits.
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