ICE deports Brazilian fugitive wanted for his role in a murder-for-hire
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Brazilian national, who is the suspected gunman in a 2014 murder-for-hire, was handed over to Brazilian law enforcement officials Nov. 9, by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Vinicius Antunes De Souza, 27, was transferred Friday by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers to the custody of the Brazilian Polícia Federal at the Belo Horizante International Airport. De Souza is named in a Brazilian arrest warrant as the alleged shooter in a murder-for-hire plot against the 57-year-old aunt of his wife, the alleged mastermind behind the scheme.
According to the arrest warrant, De Souza and his wife planned the execution in an effort to collect an inheritance from the family of the aunt, who was shot and killed Dec. 6, 2014, near the municipality of Ipatinga. De Souza’s wife is also facing murders charges in Brazil.
ERO officers, aided by officers from the Columbus Police Department, arrested De Souza Sept. 27, at a Columbus motel, based on information developed by ICE, which indicated De Souza had fled to the United States shortly after the murder. De Souza was placed in removal proceedings and later ordered removed by an immigration judge, paving the way for his repatriation.
"This case shows the critical public safety role ERO plays in the community," said Rebecca Adducci, field office director for ERO Detroit, which covers Michigan and Ohio. "Thanks to enhanced technology and increased information sharing, it's increasingly difficult for international fugitives to avoid justice in their home countries."
Since Oct. 1, 2009, ERO has removed more than 1,150 foreign fugitives from the United States who were sought in their native countries for serious crimes, including kidnapping, rape and murder. ERO works with the ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Office of International Operations, foreign consular offices in the United States, and Interpol to identify foreign fugitives illegally present in the United States.
Members of the public who have information about foreign fugitives are urged to contact ICE by calling the ICE tip line at 1 (866) 347-2423 or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. They can also file a tip online by completing ICE’s online tip form.
In fiscal year 2015, ICE conducted 235,413 removals nationwide. Ninety-one percent of individuals removed from the interior of the United States had previously been convicted of a criminal offense.
ICE is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that targets serious criminal aliens who present the greatest risk to the security of our communities, such as those charged with or convicted of homicide, rape, robbery, kidnapping, major drug offenses and threats to national security.
Updated: