187 Criminal Aliens Arrested in New England
Jim Kouri, CPP
June 18, 2005
187 criminal alien were nabbed throughout New England by federal agents and local cops, capping a weeklong operation targeting alien fugitives, most with criminal convictions for violent crime. The arrests are a result of multi-agency investigations.
Operation FLASH (Fellow Law-enforcement Agencies Securing the Homeland) is part of an ongoing effort to identify and arrest fugitive criminal aliens that were ordered removed by a Federal Immigration Judge but have failed to comply. The operation is the largest criminal alien fugitive operation ever conducted at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office. It was supported by ICE Fugitive Operations teams from six states.
ICE initiated Operation FLASH to remove dangerous criminal aliens from American streets. According to several studies, criminal aliens have a very high rate of recidivism and often re-victimize the community in which they reside. By finding and removing these fugitives, agents are able to greatly enhance the public safety of New England and restore integrity to to nation’s immigration system, claims Department of Homeland Security official.
Many of the fugitives arrested during this operation have a history of violent criminal activity that include rape of a child, rape, arson, assault and battery on a police officer, armed assault, armed robbery, intimidating witnesses and threatening murder. Some examples of those arrested in this operation are:
Carl Brown-Harton, a 42-year-old national of Costa Rica convicted of Threatening Murder, Assault & Battery, Larceny, Breaking & Entering Nighttime.
Antonio Jesus Fontes, a 53-year-old national of Cape Verde convicted of Assault & Battery, Threatening to Murder
Kimleang Ke, a 31-year-old national of Cambodia convicted of Armed Assault, Possession of a Firearm, Assault & Battery and Robbery.
Omar Trochez-Mejia, a 50-year-old national of Honduras convicted of Assault & Battery, Dangerous Weapon.
Stephen Ahlijah, a 45-year-old national of Ghana determined to be a Human Rights Violator
Jose Adelino Tavares, aka Joseph Cabral, a 28-year-old national of Portugal convicted of Assault & Battery on a Police Officer.
Soondar Mahadeo, a 48-year-old national of Trinidad convicted of Assault & Battery Dangerous Weapon, Threatening, Intimidation of Witness.
Operation FLASH is a combined effort between Federal, state, county, and local law enforcement agencies across New England and beyond coming together to locate and apprehend fugitives. Participating agencies included: ICE Fugitive Operations teams and Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, Massachusetts State Police Compliance Unit, Barnstable County Sheriff’s Department, Bristol County Sheriff’s Department, Essex County Sheriff’s Department, Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department, Boston Police Department, Hartford Conn. Police Department, Connecticut Department of Corrections, and the U.S. Marshal’s Service.
The arrests made in this operation are a result of ICE’s National Fugitive Operations Program (NFOP), which is part of ICE’s ongoing effort to attempt to restore integrity to the nation’s immigration system. Last fiscal year, ICE removed a record 160,000 aliens from the country. So far this fiscal year, ICE has removed more than 75,500 aliens from the country, including more than 45,000 criminal aliens.
The aim of the NFOP initiative is to reduce the number of fugitive aliens in the United States. Fugitives are foreign nationals who have been ordered removed by a federal Immigration Judge, but failed to comply with those orders.
Currently, ICE has 16 Fugitive Operations Teams nationwide which are designed to identify, locate, and apprehend fugitive aliens for removal from the United States. The President’s budget seeks $8.8 million in enhanced funding in FY 2006 to increase the number of Fugitive Operations teams around the country. In fiscal year 2004, there was a 62 percent increase in the number of fugitive aliens apprehended by ICE compared to the previous year.
In addition to the FLASH arrests, ICE’s New England Field office arrested 571 fugitive aliens so far this fiscal year. Of the arrests resulting from Operation FLASH, 105 were arrested in Mass., 56 were arrested in Rhode Island, 14 were arrested in Conn., 9 were arrested in New Hampshire, 2 were arrested in Vermont, and one was arrested in Maine. Since these individuals have already been through immigration proceedings, they are subject to immediate removal from the country.
Sources: Immigration and Customs Enforcement, US Department of Justice, American Federation of Police, National Association of Chiefs of Police
Operation FLASH (Fellow Law-enforcement Agencies Securing the Homeland) is part of an ongoing effort to identify and arrest fugitive criminal aliens that were ordered removed by a Federal Immigration Judge but have failed to comply. The operation is the largest criminal alien fugitive operation ever conducted at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office. It was supported by ICE Fugitive Operations teams from six states.
ICE initiated Operation FLASH to remove dangerous criminal aliens from American streets. According to several studies, criminal aliens have a very high rate of recidivism and often re-victimize the community in which they reside. By finding and removing these fugitives, agents are able to greatly enhance the public safety of New England and restore integrity to to nation’s immigration system, claims Department of Homeland Security official.
Many of the fugitives arrested during this operation have a history of violent criminal activity that include rape of a child, rape, arson, assault and battery on a police officer, armed assault, armed robbery, intimidating witnesses and threatening murder. Some examples of those arrested in this operation are:
Carl Brown-Harton, a 42-year-old national of Costa Rica convicted of Threatening Murder, Assault & Battery, Larceny, Breaking & Entering Nighttime.
Antonio Jesus Fontes, a 53-year-old national of Cape Verde convicted of Assault & Battery, Threatening to Murder
Kimleang Ke, a 31-year-old national of Cambodia convicted of Armed Assault, Possession of a Firearm, Assault & Battery and Robbery.
Omar Trochez-Mejia, a 50-year-old national of Honduras convicted of Assault & Battery, Dangerous Weapon.
Stephen Ahlijah, a 45-year-old national of Ghana determined to be a Human Rights Violator
Jose Adelino Tavares, aka Joseph Cabral, a 28-year-old national of Portugal convicted of Assault & Battery on a Police Officer.
Soondar Mahadeo, a 48-year-old national of Trinidad convicted of Assault & Battery Dangerous Weapon, Threatening, Intimidation of Witness.
Operation FLASH is a combined effort between Federal, state, county, and local law enforcement agencies across New England and beyond coming together to locate and apprehend fugitives. Participating agencies included: ICE Fugitive Operations teams and Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, Massachusetts State Police Compliance Unit, Barnstable County Sheriff’s Department, Bristol County Sheriff’s Department, Essex County Sheriff’s Department, Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department, Boston Police Department, Hartford Conn. Police Department, Connecticut Department of Corrections, and the U.S. Marshal’s Service.
The arrests made in this operation are a result of ICE’s National Fugitive Operations Program (NFOP), which is part of ICE’s ongoing effort to attempt to restore integrity to the nation’s immigration system. Last fiscal year, ICE removed a record 160,000 aliens from the country. So far this fiscal year, ICE has removed more than 75,500 aliens from the country, including more than 45,000 criminal aliens.
The aim of the NFOP initiative is to reduce the number of fugitive aliens in the United States. Fugitives are foreign nationals who have been ordered removed by a federal Immigration Judge, but failed to comply with those orders.
Currently, ICE has 16 Fugitive Operations Teams nationwide which are designed to identify, locate, and apprehend fugitive aliens for removal from the United States. The President’s budget seeks $8.8 million in enhanced funding in FY 2006 to increase the number of Fugitive Operations teams around the country. In fiscal year 2004, there was a 62 percent increase in the number of fugitive aliens apprehended by ICE compared to the previous year.
In addition to the FLASH arrests, ICE’s New England Field office arrested 571 fugitive aliens so far this fiscal year. Of the arrests resulting from Operation FLASH, 105 were arrested in Mass., 56 were arrested in Rhode Island, 14 were arrested in Conn., 9 were arrested in New Hampshire, 2 were arrested in Vermont, and one was arrested in Maine. Since these individuals have already been through immigration proceedings, they are subject to immediate removal from the country.
Sources: Immigration and Customs Enforcement, US Department of Justice, American Federation of Police, National Association of Chiefs of Police
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