A 23-year-old Guatemalan national, Rocael Ordonez-Cruz, was arrested by ICE ERO officers on July 21 at the Middlesex County House of Correction in Billerica after his release from state custody. He faces state charges including rape, assault to rape, indecent assault and battery on a person aged 14 or older, and indecent exposure. ICE says he entered the U.S. without inspection and has been served a notice to appear, initiating removal proceedings; he will remain in federal custody pending those proceedings.
ICE Arrests Guatemalan National in Massachusetts on Rape and Other Sex-Crime Charges After Release From State Custody
FILE - Local authorities charged Ordonez-Cruz with rape and assault to rape, officials said.
A Guatemalan national accused of rape and several other sexual offenses in Massachusetts was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers after his release from state detention, federal officials said Tuesday.
Who was arrested and where: ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers in Boston arrested 23-year-old Rocael Ordonez-Cruz on July 21 at the Middlesex County House of Correction in Billerica, Massachusetts, the agency said.
FILE - ICE officials said Ordonez-Cruz will remain in ICE custody pending the outcome of those proceedings.
Allegations and prior arrest: Local authorities in Arlington, Massachusetts, initially arrested Ordonez-Cruz on June 25. Prosecutors in the state have charged him with rape and assault to rape. According to ICE, he also faces charges of indecent assault and battery on a person aged 14 or older and indecent exposure.
Immigration status and custody transfer: ICE said Ordonez-Cruz entered the United States without inspection, admission, or parole by an immigration official at an unknown time and place. After his release from state custody, ICE officers took him into federal custody and served him with a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge, which formally initiates removal proceedings.
Rocael Ordonez-Cruz has not only displayed a blatant disregard for our laws by illegally entering this United States and later allegedly sexually assaulting our residents, he has also proven to be a threat to our neighborhoods,
acting Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston Field Office Director David Wesling said. The arrest demonstrates officers' commitment to public safety in New England, he added.
ICE officials said Ordonez-Cruz will remain in federal custody pending the outcome of the immigration proceedings. Fox News Digital contacted ICE for clarification about the circumstances of the arrest but did not immediately receive a response.
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