ICE removes Chilean man sought for role in international armed theft ring
CLEVELAND – A Chilean man, who is wanted for questioning in his home country for his suspected role in an international theft ring, was turned over to authorities in Santiago Wednesday by officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
Carlos Fernando Orellana-Pizarro, 45, who has a robbery conviction in Germany, was repatriated on board commercial flights under escort by Cleveland-based ERO officers. After arriving at Comodoro Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport, ERO officers transferred Orellana-Pizarro to the custody of Chilean law enforcement. Orellana-Pizarro is named in an Interpol warrant as a person of interest for his alleged role in an international criminal syndicate responsible for armed robberies in Canada, the United States, Germany, Chile, Switzerland and Italy.
“Removals like this one are at the heart of what ERO officers do day in and day out,” said Rebecca Adducci, field office director for ERO Detroit, which covers Michigan and Ohio. “ICE will continue to move aggressively against those who are attempting to evade justice in their home countries.”
Department of Homeland Security databases show Orellana-Pizarro illegally entered the United States at an unknown date before being encountered by U.S. Border Patrol during a March 2016, traffic stop in Sandusky, Ohio. He was subsequently charged with immigration violations and transferred to ICE custody. In April 2016, an immigration judge ordered him removed, paving the way for his repatriation.
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 toll-free 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.
ERO coordinates the removal of criminals, foreign fugitives and others ordered deported. In fiscal year 2015, 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.
Updated: