Federal agents re-captured a Brazilian national who was released on multiple occasions by officials in the sanctuary state of Massachusetts, despite the fact he is facing charges of rape and extortion.
On Tuesday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced their second apprehension of 29-year-old Agnaldo Moreira da Cruz.
Moreira da Cruz, whose immigration status is unclear, was arrested on Aug. 25, 2023, by police in Yarmouth, a town on Cape Cod.
He was charged with rape and extortion by threat of injury in Barnstable County Court, and ICE lodged a detainer against the Brazilian on the same day.
“The Barnstable Superior Court indicted Moreira da Cruz on felony charges, Nov. 8, 2023, and arraigned him Dec. 7, 2023. He was held at the Barnstable County Correctional Facility until an ICE detainer was ignored and he was released from criminal custody on June 18,” ICE explained in a press release.
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston eventually tracked Moreira da Cruz down and arrested him on Oct. 16, but received a Habeas Corpus request and turned him over to Barnstable Superior Court on Nov. 27 with a new detainer request.
The Brazilian was held without bail at the Barnstable County Correctional Facility until Dec. 5, but Barnstable Superior Court ignored the terms of the Habeas Corpus request, as well as the ICE detainer, and released him back to the streets with pending felony charges.
ICE ERO Boston caught up with Moreira da Cruz again on Dec. 10 and arrested him for a second time.
He remains in ICE custody during immigration and criminal proceedings.
@EROBoston arrests Brazilian national facing felony charges of rape, extortion
Link: https://t.co/Aij7Eyf0Lj pic.twitter.com/PwOuVD9HPg— ERO Boston (@EROBoston) January 8, 2025
“Moreira Da Cruz has been accused of very serious violent felonies, including rape and extortion with threat of injury. This is not someone you want to release into the community, but twice now our detainers have been ignored,” stated ERO Boston Acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde.
“Most recently, the Barnstable Superior Court ignored their own court order requiring that he be returned to our custody. These decisions have repeatedly put the citizens of Massachusetts at risk of being victimized by an alleged dangerous offender.”
This article was originally published at InfoWars.com
