ERO New York City arrests 32 noncitizen sex offenders during nationwide law enforcement effort

NEW YORK — Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) New York City Fugitive Operations officers apprehended 32 unlawfully present noncitizens convicted of sex offenses during a nationwide law enforcement effort from Feb. 5 to Feb. 16.

“ERO New York City remains committed to protecting the citizens and residents of New York by removing those who pose a public safety threat to our communities, which includes these 32 noncitizens convicted of heinous sexual crimes against innocent people — many of whom are children,” said ERO New York City Field Office Director Kenneth Genalo. “I am grateful to our dedicated officers who apprehended these individuals safely and with the professionalism that epitomizes an ERO officer.”

During the operation, ERO used an intelligence driven enforcement model to target noncitizens who committed egregious sex crimes while in violation of our nation’s immigration laws. Cases amenable to federal criminal prosecution may be presented to the appropriate U.S. attorney’s office.

Those arrested include:

• A 23-year-old citizen of Ecuador in Hillburn, convicted by the Rockland County Court of felony rape in the second degree: a person 18 years old or more has intercourse with person less than 15 years old.
• A 29-year-old citizen of Mexico in Queens, convicted by the Queens County Supreme Court of felony sexual abuse in the first degree: forcible compulsion. 
• A 44-year-old citizen of Mexico in the Bronx, convicted by the Bronx County Supreme Court of felony attempted sexual abuse in the first degree: person incapable of consent/physically helpless.
• A 68-year-old citizen of Haiti in Spring Valley, convicted by the Rockland County Court of felony sexual abuse in the first degree: contact with a victim less than 13 where the defendant is 21 or older.
• A 71-year-old citizen of Bangladesh in Ozone Park, convicted by the Queens County Criminal Court of felony rape in the first degree: intercourse with person less than 11 years old.
• A 25-year-old citizen of the Dominican Republic in the Bronx, convicted by the Bronx County Supreme Court in two separate cases of felony rape in the second degree: a person 18 years or more who has intercourse with person less than 15 years old.

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 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.

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.

In fiscal year 2023, ERO arrested 73,822 noncitizens with criminal histories; this group had 290,178 associated charges and convictions with an average of four per individual. These included 33,209 assaults; 4,390 sex and sexual assaults; 7,520 weapons offenses; 1,713 charges or convictions for homicide; and 1,655 kidnapping offenses.

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 New York City’s mission to preserve public safety on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ERONewYork.