March 12, 2009

New DHS enforcement team leads to arrest of convicted sexual predator who returned to the U.S. after being deported

MIAMI - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers of the Mobile Enforcement Team (MET) apprehended a convicted sexual predator who reentered the United States illegally after being deported.

The 28-year-old Nicaraguan man was encountered during an enforcement operation being conducted at several warehouses on March 10, 2008.

"This week's arrest of a sexual predator exemplifies the ICE-CBP Mobile Enforcement Team's mission to have a DHS united front in protecting public safety here in South Florida," said Anthony V. Mangione, special agent in charge of ICE's Office of Investigations in Miami. "ICE and our DHS partners will continue to collaborate and use all our resources to identify and arrest these dangerous individuals."

"This is an outstanding example of what we can accomplish when we are united in our efforts to protect the United States. Our combined efforts have removed a convicted criminal and illegal alien from our community," said Harold Woodward, Director of Field Operations for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The man, who was one of several people being interviewed by agents and officers at a warehouse, presented a driver's license and claimed to be from Puerto Rico. On further inspection, it was determined that the identification he provided was counterfeit. The subject then stated that he had entered the United States without inspection by illegally crossing the border. A subsequent search using the subject's fingerprints revealed that he had been convicted in Miami Dade County in 1999 on two counts of lewd and lascivious assault on a child and one count of kidnapping. The subject served a two year prison sentence and was thereafter deported. CBP Enforcement Officers will pursue prosecution on charges of illegally re-entering the United States after deportation as a criminal alien.

The Miami ICE-CBP MET formed in 2008 to serve as a new DHS force to protect public safety and national security in South Florida.

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

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