ERO Washington, D.C. arrests multiple sex offenders during national operation

WASHINGTON — Deportation officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Washington, D.C. Field Office apprehended four unlawfully present noncitizens convicted of sex offenses during a nationwide enforcement effort Oct. 22 through Nov. 4. The law enforcement action conducted by ERO resulted in a total of 138 arrests nationally, including some of people who had already been ordered removed from the United States but failed to depart.

This enforcement operation was implemented to address unlawfully present noncitizens convicted of sex offenses. Cases amenable to federal criminal prosecution may be presented to the appropriate U.S. attorney’s office. Individuals listed here will remain in ICE custody pending immigration proceedings.

Those arrested in the ERO Washington, D.C. Field Office area of responsibility are as follows:

• A 28-year-old citizen of Pakistan in Manassas, Virginia convicted by the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax, Virginia of felony aggravated sexual battery.
• A 19-year-old citizen of Guatemala in Washington, D.C., convicted by the Superior Court of the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C. of misdemeanor sexual abuse of a minor.
• A 19-year-old citizen of Honduras in Reston, Virginia convicted by the Fairfax County General District Court in Fairfax, convicted of misdemeanor consensual sex act with a child 15 or older.
• A 49-year-old citizen of Cameroon in Front Royal, Virginia convicted by the Circuit Court in Prince George County, Virginia of felony sexual abuse of a minor.

ICE officers make enforcement decisions on a case-by-case basis in a professional and responsible manner, informed by their experience as law enforcement officials and in a way that best protects against the greatest threats to the homeland.

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 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 2021, ERO arrested 12,025 individuals with aggravated felony convictions. Offenses associated with noncitizens arrested in FY 2021 included 1,506 homicide related offenses, 3,415 sexual assaults, 19,549 assaults, 2,717 robberies, and 1,063 kidnappings.

ICE’s ERO directorate 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, as well as individuals who have otherwise violated our nation's immigration laws, including those who illegally reentered 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 or fugitive arrest and removal cases who are wanted for crimes committed abroad and who are now at-large in the United States. ERO manages all aspects of the immigration enforcement process, including identification and arrest, detention, bond management, supervised release, transportation and removal. In addition, ERO repatriates noncitizens ordered removed from the U.S. to more than 170 countries around the world.

Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-347-2423 (866-DHS-2-ICE) or completing the online tip form.

Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in your community on Twitter @EROWashington.