U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Boston announced the arrest of three illegal immigrants linked to child rape cases, including two charged with crimes in Massachusetts and one convicted in Brazil.

One of the suspects, 21-year-old Mynor Stiven De Paz-Munoz from Guatemala, was charged with the forcible rape of a child in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Despite an ICE detainer request, local authorities released him on bail. De Paz-Munoz initially entered the U.S. in September 2020 near Eagle Pass, Texas, and was released by Border Patrol with a notice to appear before an immigration judge. He was arrested in February 2024 by Great Barrington police for rape of a child by force, indecent assault, and battery on a person aged 14 or older.

BREAKING: Mynor Stiven De Paz-Munoz a Guatemalan national charged in with rape of child by force has been arrested by ICE in Great Barrington after an immigration detainer was ignored and De Paz-Munoz was released on bail. How does this keep happening? #mapoli pic.twitter.com/bD11BkiIsL

— JohnFGately (@johnfgately) November 20, 2024

“Mynor Stiven De Paz-Munoz stands accused of horrifically victimizing a Massachusetts child and represents a significant threat to our neighborhoods,” stated Acting ERO Boston Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “We owe it to the children of our New England communities to prioritize public safety above everything else.”

The second suspect, 42-year-old Billy Erney Buitrago-Bustos of Colombia, was arrested in October 2023 for allegedly raping a child by force, statutory rape, and aggravated rape. He entered the U.S. on a visa in May 2016 but overstayed its terms. Following his arrest, ICE lodged an immigration detainer, which was honored after his arraignment and subsequent release on bail in November 2023.

“Billy Erney Buitrago-Bustos stands accused of the most heinous and reprehensible of crimes,” Hyde said. “We thank our law enforcement partners at the Berkshire County Jail and House of Correction for prioritizing public safety and protecting children in the communities they were appointed to serve.”

The third suspect, 41-year-old Alexandre Romao De Oliveira from Brazil, is a convicted child rapist who fled his home country to evade a 14-year prison sentence. Romao De Oliveira entered the U.S. illegally in April 2022 near Santa Teresa, New Mexico, and was released with a notice to appear before an immigration judge. ICE arrested him in Methuen, Massachusetts, earlier this week.

“Alexandre Romao De Oliveira is a convicted child rapist who fled his home country to evade justice,” Hyde said. “Enhancing public safety starts with cooperation between law enforcement partners. Bringing this fugitive to justice is a direct result of the collaboration between ERO Boston, the ICE attaché offices around the globe, and our foreign law enforcement counterparts.”

These arrests come amidst criticism from Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, who recently stated that the state would not cooperate with President-elect Trump’s immigration enforcement plans.