June 14, 2023
NEWARK, N.J. — Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Newark arrested nine noncitizens with criminal records and ties to South American theft groups in New Jersey on June 8. ERO Newark arrested the following noncitizens:
- A 38-year-old Colombian national who unlawfully entered the United States and was found with a fraudulent passport.
- A 36-year-old Colombian national arrested for the crime of burglary, forced entry on a residence. His visa was revoked for failure to consent to a watchlist interview.
- A 43-year-old Colombian national arrested for simple assault/theft endangering welfare of children. Subject was in the United States on a temporary visa and failed to depart by the designated date.
- A 37-year-old Colombian national who failed to voluntarily depart the United States as ordered by an immigration judge.
- A 34-year-old Colombian national who unlawfully entered the United States and currently has pending charges for criminal trespassing, theft by unlawful taking and disorderly conduct.
- A 36-year-old Colombian national unlawfully present in the United States previously arrested for theft by unlawful taking.
- A 47-year-old Peruvian national unlawfully present in the United States previously arrested for theft by deception and conspiracy.
- A 54-year-old Peruvian national unlawfully present in the United States previously arrested for theft by deception and conspiracy.
- A 29-year-old Peruvian national unlawfully present in the United States arrested previously for petit larceny and criminal possession of stolen property, theft by deception and conspiracy theft by deception.
“The arrests of these individuals whose criminal conduct has impacted our communities were the result of diligent efforts and investigative work by ERO officers and our law enforcement partners,” said ERO Newark Field Office Director John Tsoukaris. “I would like to acknowledge our federal partners — mainly FBI Newark, ERO Philadelphia, U.S Customs and Border Protection Newark, ERO’s National Criminal Analysis and Targeting Center, and the Pacific Enforcement Response Center under the Targeting Operations Division.”
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 ICE. Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case. ERO officers carry out the removal decisions made by the federal immigration judges.
ERO officers make enforcement decisions on a case-by-case basis in a professional and responsible manner, informed by their experience as law enforcement officials and in a way that best protects against the greatest threats to the homeland and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws.
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.
In fiscal year 2022, ERO arrested 46,396 noncitizens with criminal histories. This group had 198,498 associated charges and convictions, including 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. For more information on how ERO Newark carries out its immigration mission, follow us on Twitter @ERONewark.
Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Newark File Photo