ERO Boston arrests Dominican national accused of child sexual abuse

BOSTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston arrested Belardis Tapia Gonzalez, a Dominican national charged with second-degree child molestation-sexual assault in Rhode Island, Nov. 18. Tapia unlawfully entered the United States around July 2021.

“ERO Boston is tasked with keeping our communities safe from potentially dangerous noncitizens — particularly those accused of crimes so egregious as child sexual assault,” said ERO Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “Our officers apprehended Tapia, who has been accused of terrible crimes, after we discovered that a court in Warwick, Rhode Island, released him on bail.”

ERO Boston’s Fugitive Operations Team arrested Tapia in Lynn and served him with a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge. He is currently in ICE custody.

ERO is one of ICE’s three operational directorates and the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency’s detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO’s workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings, and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.

Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our New England communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROBoston.

Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE.gov)