ICE Joint Op Leads To Capture Of Colombian Burglary Ring Suspect

EASTCHESTER, NY — In a joint operation with federal law enforcement, Eastchester police took an alien fugitive off the streets.

On March 20, Eastchester police working with ICE and the U.S. Marshals Service, arrested a Colombian national who was suspected of an attempted burglary in the Leewood Park neighborhood of Eastchester.

The suspect, who police are not identifying, had a previous criminal record in the United States, and had been returned to Colombia in 2020. He re-entered the U.S. and was charged with attempted burglary stemming from an incident in early 2023, officials said.

Eastchester investigators found that the suspect had been using fraudulent identification, under an assumed identity. On Feb. 1, 2024, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) New York City's Newburgh Fugitive Operations Team received information identifying the noncitizen as a suspected member of a transnational organized criminal syndicate, known as a "South American Theft Group."

The suspect was charged in Eastchester with attempted burglary and falsifying business records. He was arraigned in Westchester County and was then taken into custody by ICE.

"Our department recognizes the diligent work by our Detective Division, as well as our Federal Law Enforcement partners in being able to close this case and arrest a dangerous individual who was a threat to your community," Eastchester police said in a statement released on Tuesday.

Federal officials said the slippery suspect has a long list of prior offenses.

On Nov. 21, 2020, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Border Patrol agents at or near Laredo, Texas, previously encountered the suspect and processed him as an expedited removal under the Immigration and Nationality Act. On Nov. 28, 2020, ERO Air Operations removed the noncitizen via an ICE Air flight from the United States to Colombia.

After illegally re-entering the U.S., he continued a pattern of illegal behavior, law enforcement officials said.

On Aug. 24, 2023, the Eastchester Town Police Department arrested him for two counts of attempted burglary in the second degree: illegal entry of a dwelling.

A U.S. magistrate judge for the Southern District of New York issued an arrest warrant for the suspect on March 18, for illegal re-entry following a complaint from ERO New York City’s Newburgh sub-office.

On March 20, the Eastchester Town Police Department arrested the suspect for falsifying business records in the first degree because he possessed a New York State driver’s license in another person’s name.

"ERO’s targeted enforcement of criminal noncitizens and those who repeatedly undermine the integrity of our immigration system is critical to ensuring the public safety of the New York City metropolitan area," ERO New York City Field Office Director Kenneth Genalo said. "Members of transnational criminal organizations are a direct threat to our communities, so we will utilize all of our resources to locate and apprehend these noncitizens and initiate removal proceedings."

Noncitizens placed into removal proceedings receive their legal due process from federal immigration judges in the immigration courts, which are administered by the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). EOIR is an agency within the U.S. Department of Justice and is separate from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Immigration judges in these courts are tasked with making decisions based on the merits of each individual case.