ICE arrests Brazilian murder convict in Massachusetts pre-PROTECT Act

An illegal alien wanted for aggravated murder in Brazil was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Massachusetts just two days before Democrat Gov. Maura Healey signed a law to block certain ICE operations in the state.

Maycon Souto Dos Reis, 54, was convicted of aggravated murder in Brazil on Sept. 14, 2024 and sentenced to 14 years and three months in prison, when an arrest warrant was issued. The Brazilian national fled Brazil and crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally in June 2024, where he was apprehended but subsequently released into the United States under then-President Joe Biden’s open-border policies, according to ICE.

“This is yet another example of what the media often characterizes as a non-criminal, when in reality, many of these individuals are murderers, sexual predators, gang members and more: They simply do not have a criminal record in the United States,” acting ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston Field Office Director David Wesling wrote in a statement.

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“We will continue to pursue these dangerous criminal aliens that sanctuary politicians fight to protect.”

The timing of the Aug. 3 Boston-area arrest corresponded to Healey’s Aug. 5 signing of the PROTECT Act, which keeps ICE out of courthouses, schools, child care centers, hospitals and healthcare facilities, while also providing stronger protections for parents in case they are detained or deported, banning new 287(g) agreements and allowing civil rights claims to be made against government officials, including ICE agents.

“The PROTECT Act is the strongest law in the country to protect people from ICE, because no one should be afraid to send their child to school, seek medical care or fear reporting a crime or appearing in court,” Healey wrote Aug. 5 in a statement announcing the signing of the new restrictions on ICE operations in her state.

“It makes us all less safe. So we are getting ICE out of our courthouses, schools and hospitals. This bill is a testament to the hard work and advocacy of so many people across our state. We’re going to keep working together to make Massachusetts and this country the place we all want it to be.”

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Dos Reis initially came to ERO Boston’s attention following his May 29 arrest for unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in Southborough, Massachusetts.

ICE officers arrested him Aug. 3 during a targeted operation at Westborough District Court in Westborough.

ICE officials said Dos Reis had been living in Massachusetts, which has been at the center of clashes between state and federal officials over immigration enforcement. The agency characterized the jurisdiction as one where local policies can complicate federal efforts to locate and arrest immigration offenders.

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ICE did not provide additional details about the aggravated murder case in Brazil, including when the killing occurred or the circumstances surrounding Dos Reis’ conviction.

He remains in ICE custody pending the outcome of deportation proceedings, the agency said.

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“DHS’s message is clear: If you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will find you, arrest you, and you will never return,” ICE wrote in a release Monday, hailing President Donald Trump and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s actions to protect legal American citizens.

“Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States.”