ERO Boston arrests twice-removed Dominican fugitive convicted of drug, firearm and identity theft charges

BOSTON — Officers with Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston arrested a Dominican national who was removed from the United States on two previous occasions. The noncitizen had been convicted on multiple felony charges, including intent to distribute heroin, illegal firearms possession, aggravated identity theft, false representation of a social security number and unlawful reentry after deportation. The convicted felon was apprehended Oct. 4 in Methuen while possessing fentanyl and cocaine.

The 43-year-old citizen of the Dominican Republic was previously arrested by immigration authorities in May 2011, after authorities determined he was unlawfully present in the United States following his arrest for violating Massachusetts state firearms laws. In August 2012, he was convicted of and sentenced to federal prison for aggravated identity theft. In July 2013, he was removed from the United States by order of a federal immigration judge.

In June 2014, the Dominican native was arrested on immigration charges by ERO Boston officers in Manchester, New Hampshire. He was referred for prosecution on charges of aggravated identity theft and unlawful reentry to the United States after deportation, for which he was convicted and served a two-year federal prison sentence starting in 2015. He was removed from the United States a second time in June 2018.

In December 2022, local police in Salem, New Hampshire, arrested him on motor vehicle violations. In February 2023, ERO Boston lodged an immigration detainer for custody of the Dominican fugitive, but he was subsequently released from Massachusetts state custody. ERO Boston arrested him without incident Oct. 3 in Methuen, and he will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

Noncitizens placed into removal proceedings receive their legal due process from federal immigration judges in the immigration courts, which are administered by the 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 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, including 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 crime and suspicious activity by calling 866-347-2423 or completing the online tip form.

Learn more about ERO Boston’s mission to preserve public safety on X, formerly known as Twitter, @EROBoston.