More Illegal Immigrants Accused of Child Rape Arrested in Massachusetts
Immigration officers have arrested three more illegal immigrants in Massachusetts, with two accused of raping children in the state and another already convicted.
The Brazilian, Guatemalan, and Colombian were all detained in recent days by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) removals team in Boston, which has been actively targeting known migrant criminals in recent months.
“We owe it to the children of our New England communities to prioritize public safety above everything else,” acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde of ERO Boston said in a press release Wednesday.
“ERO Boston stands committed to arresting and removing egregious noncitizen threats from the community.”
Guatemalan Mynor Stiven De Paz-Munoz
The first to be arrested on November 12 was Mynor Stiven De Paz-Munoz, 21, who is a Guatemalan national in the United States illegally.
De Paz-Munoz is charged with rape of child by force, rape of a child, and indecent assault and battery against a minor, which ICE linked to one victim.
Hyde described the suspect as a “significant threat”. He had arrived in the U.S. illegally in September 2020 near Eagle Pass, Texas. Border patrol released him pending an immigration court hearing.
Great Barrington Police Department in Massachusettes then arrested De Paz-Munoz in February this year for the alleged crimes and ICE lodged an immigration detainer against him, but this was ignored, and the suspect was released.
Columbian Billy Erney Buitrago-Bustos
ICE detained the second suspect, Billy Erney Buitrago-Bustos, on November 15. The 42-year-old Colombian had been held by local law enforcement for over a year, accused of rape of a child by force, statutory rape, and aggravated rape against a minor.
After he posted bail, the immigration detainer placed on him was honored, meaning he was handed directly to ICE officers instead of being released into the community.
“We thank our law enforcement partners at the Berkshire County Jail and House of Correction for prioritizing public safety and protecting children in the communities they were appointed to serve,” Hyde said.
Brazilian Alexandre Romao De Oliveira
Lastly, a Brazilian fugitive was detained on November 18. Alexandre Romao De Oliveira was convicted of raping a child in Brazil in early 2022 but fled the country before serving his 14-year sentence.
He crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in April 2022 and was released by border patrol with an order to appear for an immigration hearing. ICE then caught up with him in Methuen, Massachusetts, on Monday.
Now that the agency has custody of the three individuals, it is likely that they will be deported.
The ERO Boston office has been publicly speaking about its moves to arrest individuals in Massachusetts in recent months, despite sanctuary policies which have led to detainers being ignored, allowing alleged criminals back out into the community.
The policy was designed to stop immigrants from being wrongly detained, but local leaders have told Newsweek over the past few months that the policy is unworkable, following such an influx of new arrivals to the state.