ERO New York City apprehends foreign fugitive wanted in Ecuador for homicide, rape
NEW YORK — On March 2, officers from Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) New York City’s Newburgh office arrested a foreign fugitive without incident. The fugitive is wanted in Ecuador for homicide and rape.
ERO New York City processed the 30-year-old Ecuadorian citizen and served them with a Notice to Appear. The noncitizen will remain in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody without bond pending removal proceedings.
“The United States will not become a safe haven for those who commit heinous atrocities in their home countries, said ERO New York City Field Office Director Kenneth Genalo. “ERO is committed to identifying, locating, arresting and ultimately removing these foreign fugitives seeking to evade justice. Our officers should be commended for their diligence and tireless dedication to keeping our country and communities safe from these types of perpetrators.”
On Dec. 2, 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the Nogales, Arizona, area encountered the noncitizen and returned them to Mexico. On an unknown date and at an unknown location, the noncitizen reentered the United States without being admitted or paroled by an immigration official.
Noncitizens placed into removal proceedings receive their legal due process from federal immigration judges in immigration courts, which are administered by the Justice Department, which is separate from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and ICE. Immigration judges make decisions based on the merits of individual cases. ERO officers carry out the removal decisions that federal immigration judges make.
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.
ERO, a directorate of ICE, upholds U.S. immigration law at, within, and beyond our borders. ERO operations target public safety threats, such as convicted criminal noncitizens and gang members, who have violated our nation's immigration laws, including those who illegally re-enter the country after being removed and immigration fugitives ordered removed by federal immigration judges. ERO deportation officers assigned to Interpol also assist in targeting foreign fugitives for crimes committed abroad at-large in the U.S. ERO manages all aspects of the immigration enforcement process, including identification and arrest, detention, bond management, supervised release, transportation, and removal. Additionally, ERO repatriates noncitizens ordered removed from the U.S. to more than 150 countries worldwide.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-347-2423 or completing ICE’s online tip form.
Learn more about ERO New York City’s mission to preserve public safety on Twitter @ERONewYork.
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