Illegal Immigrant Brazilian Fugitive Arrested for Child Rape on Martha's Vineyard

Last week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the arrest of a Brazilian fugitive on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. The arrest was made after authorities discovered that the man, identified as 37-year-old Saulo Cardona Ferreira, was an illegal immigrant wanted in his home country for failing to serve a prison sentence for the rape of a 5-year-old child.

According to ICE, Cardona Ferreira had received multiple criminal convictions in Brazil in 2019 for the heinous crime, resulting in a 14-year prison sentence. However, he managed to flee the country, evading authorities. The town of Sorriso, Mato Grosso, had issued a warrant for his arrest.

ICE stated that Cardona Ferreira illegally entered the United States at an undisclosed time and location, successfully evading Border Patrol as a "gotaway." The agency's Fugitive Operations Team apprehended him during a vehicle stop in Martha's Vineyard, a popular vacation destination.

The arrest came after ICE launched an investigation following a law enforcement data review that signaled Cardona Ferreira's potential presence in the area. The investigation began in September, culminating in the arrest near his address in November. Currently, he is in custody and awaits a court appearance before an immigration judge.

"This undocumented Brazilian national represented a significant threat to the inhabitants of Martha's Vineyard," stated Todd Lyons, the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston Field Office Director. "He sexually assaulted a five-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. We will continue to apprehend and remove anyone who attempts to use our New England community as a refuge from justice," he added.

In FY 2022, ICE has arrested 46,396 illegal immigrants with criminal histories, which includes 8,164 individuals involved in sex and sexual assault offenses. The arrest of Cardona Ferreira highlights the ongoing crisis at the southern border, as the United States continues to grapple with a historic surge in migrant encounters.

Massachusetts officials have declared themselves overwhelmed and have called for more federal assistance, recognizing the issue as a "federal problem." Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas recently confirmed that there were more than 600,000 gotaways in FY 2023, with over 1,000 attempted illegal border crossings per day since October.

Martha's Vineyard gained attention last year when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis transported migrants to the island, causing strain on its infrastructure and housing market. However, there is currently no known connection between the migrants flown to the vacation spot and Cardona Ferreira, who likely arrived in the US years prior to those events. The arrest serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges faced in addressing illegal immigration and the need for stronger border security measures.