ERO Boston arrests fugitive wanted for money laundering crimes in Colombia

WORCESTER, Mass. – Law enforcement and deportation operations in Boston have arrested a Colombian fugitive wanted for money laundering crimes in her home country. ERO Boston officers arrested the 38-year-old Colombian refugee on October 17 in Worcester.

“This Colombian refugee attempted to escape the law in her home country by seeking refuge in our Massachusetts neighborhoods,” said Patricia H. Hyde, acting ERO Boston field director. “Now she will be forced to face the justice she sought to undermine. ERO Boston will not allow our New England communities to become havens for the world’s criminal elements. We will continue to prioritize the safety of our public by arresting and removing serious non-citizen offenders.”

The Colombian national entered the United States legally in January 2015. However, she violated the conditions of her lawful entry.

On November 3, 2023, the Colombian authorities issued an arrest warrant against the Colombian citizen for the crime of money laundering.

When ERO Boston officials learned that the Colombian refugee may be living in Massachusetts, they arrested her in Worcester on October 17 and served her with a notice to appear before a Justice Department immigration judge. The Colombian refugee remains in ERO custody.

ERO carries out deportations of persons without a lawful basis for being in the United States, including at the direction of immigration judges from the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review. The Executive Office for Immigration Review is a separate entity from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the facts of each case and determine whether a noncitizen is subject to a final order of removal or whether he or she is entitled to certain forms of relief from removal.

As one of ICE’s three operational directorates, ERO is the primary federal law enforcement agency responsible for domestic immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to protect the homeland by apprehending and deporting those who threaten the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws. ERO’s primary areas of focus are internal enforcement operations and management of the agency’s detained and non-detained population and repatriation of non-citizens who have received final removal orders. ERO’s workforce consists of more than 7,700 employees supporting law enforcement and non-law enforcement agencies in 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations across the country, 30 overseas deployments and multiple temporary tours of duty along the border.

Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our New England communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROBoston.