ERO Boston arrests Brazilian non-citizen for drug distribution in Martha's Vineyard

OAK BLUFFS, Mass. – Enforcement and eviction operations in Boston have arrested an illegally present Brazilian non-citizen who was found to have possessed and distributed controlled substances in Edgartown. ERO Boston officers arrested the 21-year-old Brazilian national on September 18 in Oak Bluffs.

“This Brazilian non-citizen not only violated U.S. immigration laws, but also attempted to distribute drugs on Martha's Vineyard,” said Patricia H. Hyde, acting ERO Boston field director. “We will not tolerate such activities continuing in our communities. ERO Boston will continue to persistently arrest and remove serious non-citizen offenders from our New England neighborhoods.”

The Brazilian non-citizen unlawfully entered the United States on June 12, 2021, near Imperial Beach, California, without being inspected, admitted, or paroled by a U.S. immigration official.

On August 25, 2021, ERO sent the Brazilian non-citizen a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge.

The Edgartown District Court on August 23 imposed a continuing sentence on the non-citizen Brazilian citizen on a charge of possession of a Class B controlled substance without a finding. The court then sentenced the non-citizen to two years of supervised release.

ERO Boston officers arrested the Brazilian national on September 18 in Oak Bluffs. He 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 the three operating directorates of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ERO is the primary federal law enforcement agency responsible for domestic immigration enforcement. ERO's mission is to protect the homeland by arresting 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.