Noncitizen wanted for rape of a minor in Ecuador removed
DENVER — Officers with Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Denver removed a noncitizen fugitive wanted in Ecuador Aug. 17, 2023.
Rolando Vladimir Larrea-Flores, 51, is wanted in Ecuador for rape of a minor. He was flown from Denver International Airport to Jose Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and handed over to local authorities.
“When people try to flee justice in their home country by running to ours, we will return them,” said ERO Denver acting Field Office Director Kelei Walker. “I’m proud of the hard work ERO Denver officers do every day to ensure our communities stay safe from those that wish to harm others.”
A U.S. Border Patrol agent encountered Larrea on June 6, 2023, near Santa Teresa, New Mexico. The agent determined that Larrea entered the United States unlawfully and without proper immigration documentation.
A criminal records search determined that Larrea had an active warrant in Ecuador for rape of a minor.
ERO officers make enforcement decisions on a case-by-case basis in responsible manner, informed by their experience as law enforcement professionals 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 Justice Department’s 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's (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 2022, ERO arrested 46,396 noncitizens with criminal histories; this group had 198,498 associated charges and convictions. These included 21,531 assault offenses; 8,164 sex and sexual assault offenses; 5,554 weapons offenses; 1,501 homicide-related offenses; and 1,114 kidnapping offenses.
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.
Members of the public can report crimes or suspicious activity by calling 866-347-2423 or completing ICE’s online tip form.
Learn more about ERO’s mission to increase public safety in your community on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ERODenver.
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