ICE deports Brazilian fugitive sentenced to 12 years for forgery

SAO PAULO – A Brazilian fugitive, convicted in 2003 and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for forgery of travel documents, was removed to Brazil Wednesday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal (ERO) officers.

Lucione Nonato Barros, who was wanted on an Interpol red notice, arrived at the Sao Paulo Guarulhos International Airport without incident. Upon her arrival, she was immediately transferred to the custody of the Brazilian Federal Police.

According to Brazilian reports, Barros fled Brazil prior to her conviction. She entered the United States illegally in 2002 and was arrested by ERO officers in Boston, Massachusetts, in 2008. Barros, who was ordered removed by an immigration judge, filed numerous appeals to avoid her removal. Her appeals were dismissed, and her removal order was upheld.

This removal was coordinated under ICE Brasilia’s “Operation No Where to Run,” a coordinated effort between ICE Brasilia and the government of Brazil to locate, apprehend and repatriate individuals wanted in Brazil.

ERO coordinates the removal of criminals, foreign fugitives and others ordered deported. Last year alone, ERO removed 315,943 individuals from the United States. ICE is focused on smart and effective immigration enforcement that prioritizes its resources based on those who pose the biggest threat to national security, border security and public safety. ICE’s civil enforcement efforts are based on priorities set by the Secretary of Homeland Security in November 2014. 

Through its International Operations, HSI has 62 operational attaché offices in 46 countries around the world. HSI special agents work closely with foreign law enforcement agencies through a robust network of specialized, vetted units known as Transnational Criminal Investigative Units. Additionally, HSI brings personnel from host countries to the United States to train at the Department of Homeland Security Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia.