Brazilian fugitive wanted for drug trafficking deported from US entered via El Paso | State

“This case is emblematic of the fact that the United States will not provide a back door to evade its responsibilities,” said Michael Bernacke, director of the ERO field office in Salt Lake City. “US authorities will track down and repatriate foreign fugitives. »

Passos-Soares was initially encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol in the Border Patrol Sector of El Paso, Texas, on August 15, 2022, for entering the United States without inspection by an immigration agent. He was summoned and released on his own recognizance. A Salt Lake City immigration judge ordered Passos-Soares returned to Brazil in absentia on October 23, 2023.

Officers were notified on March 6, 2023, of an outstanding arrest warrant for Passos-Soares from Brazil for drug trafficking and illegal possession of firearm ammunition. He was arrested by the ERO on May 1 for failing to leave the United States as ordered by the immigration judge.

ERO officers make enforcement decisions on a case-by-case basis, drawing on their experience as law enforcement professionals, and in ways that best protect against the greatest threats to the country. Noncitizens placed in removal proceedings are afforded due process by federal immigration judges in immigration courts, which are administered by the Executive Office for Immigration Review. immigration from the Department of Justice.

In FY 2023, the ERO arrested 73,822 noncitizens with criminal histories, who had 290,178 associated charges and convictions. These included 33,209 assaults, 4,390 sexual and sexual assaults, 7,520 weapons offenses, 1,713 homicide charges or convictions and 1,655 kidnapping offenses.

As one of three operating branches of ICE, ERO is the primary federal law enforcement agency responsible for enforcing domestic immigration laws. The ERO's mission is to protect the homeland by arresting and deporting those who undermine the security of American communities and the integrity of America's immigration laws. Its primary areas of focus are domestic law enforcement operations, management of the agency's detained and non-detained populations, and the repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of expulsion.

Members of the public can report crimes or suspicious activity by calling 866-347-2423 or completing ICE's online tip form.