Saulo Cardoso Ferreira, convicted of raping a 5-year-old child in his home country, had fled Brazil after being handed a 14-year sentence and was wanted by Brazilian authorities, according to a press release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Ferreira entered the United States illegally at an unknown date and location without inspection or admission by an immigration official, according to federal authorities, who say they were alerted to Ferreira’s presence on Martha’s Vineyard on September 28.
Ferreira during a vehicle stop in West Tisbury on Tuesday, November 14. He was served with a notice to appear before a federal immigration judge, and is in federal custody pending his court appearance.
“This undocumented Brazilian national represented a significant threat to the inhabitants of Martha’s Vineyard,” said Todd Lyons, director of the Boston field office of Enforcement and Removal Operations, in a written statement. “He sexually assaulted a 5-year-old child in his homeland, and then ran from authorities when held accountable for his actions.”
“ERO Boston will not allow such predators to threaten our residents,” Lyons added. “We will continue to apprehend and remove anyone who attempts to use our New England community as a refuge from justice.”
