A man convicted of murder in Brazil who illegally entered and hid out in the United States under the Biden administration was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Massachusetts last week.
Agents with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston, alongside the FBI, arrested 34-year-old Fernando Antonio Vieira-Martins, a Brazilian fugitive, in Milford, Mass., on May 1.
According to ICE, Vieira-Martins fled Brazil after he was convicted in June of 2022 for murder and was given a nearly 25-year prison sentence.
Vieira-Martins was able to illegally enter the U.S. over the southern border under the Biden administration on March 9, 2023, near Calexico, Calif., without being inspected or admitted by immigration officials, ICE stated.
Brazilian authorities issued an arrest warrant for Vieira-Martins on May 10, 2023, for failure to serve a sentence for a murder conviction.
Since his arrest on May 1, Vieira-Martins has remained in ICE custody pending his removal to Brazil.
“Fernando Antonio Vieira-Martins murdered someone in his home country and attempted to subvert justice by fleeing to the United States. He represents a significant hazard to the residents of Massachusetts,” said ICE-ERO Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia Hyde on Thursday.
“While some in New England may be perfectly fine with criminal alien offenders settling in our communities, ICE Boston will continue to prioritize the safety of our law-abiding public by arresting and removing such criminal alien threats to our neighbors,” Hyde said.
