On Tuesday, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the arrest of a gang member from El Salvador who had illegally entered the United States.
Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston, a unit of ICE, announced that they have apprehended Luis Borja-Bautista in Massachusetts. Borja-Bautista, a member of the notorious “18th Street Security Threat Group,” had unlawfully entered the country in 2017, as confirmed by the agency.
Borja-Bautista is currently facing charges of distributing and trafficking a controlled substance, as well as possessing ammunition without a firearms license, according to ERO Boston. After being ordered to be held at a jail by a Massachusetts court, he was able to post bail on November 22nd, as confirmed by ICE.
However, the agency stated that Borja-Bautista was returned to the same court that had released him, disregarding the detainer issued by ICE.
“ERO Boston will continue to arrest noncitizens facing felony charges regardless of whether jurisdictions choose to honor immigration detainers,” Acting Field Office Director Patricia Hyde said in a press release.
“As federal law enforcement officers and public servants, we are absolutely committed to protecting the communities and neighborhoods where we live and work,” she continued.
According to ERO Boston, Borja-Bautista was arrested on November 21 and handed over to the Chelsea Police Department. Hyde expressed concern that the unit’s failure to apprehend him in a controlled environment the second time posed a risk to both officers and the public.
“Since ERO officers were denied the opportunity to arrest Borja-Bautista in a safe and controlled environment like a court or jail setting, we spent over three weeks verifying his whereabouts and subsequently arresting him in Chelsea,” Hyde said.
“This arrest occurred without incident, but the risk to public and officer safety increases any time our officers have to make these types of arrests,” she added.
