Federal authorities arrest illegal immigrant accused of raping child in Massachusetts

NEW BEDFORD, Massachusetts (TND) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced on Monday the arrest of a Guatemalan national who allegedly raped a child in Massachusetts.

Yader Alexander Morales-Quevedo, 24, entered the United States illegally at an unknown time and place, according to ICE. He was charged with rape of a child in New Bedford, Massachusetts, in 2022. The case was later transferred to a higher court. He was arrested by immigration officials in May and is currently in ICE custody awaiting the outcome of deportation proceedings.

“Yader Alexander Morales-Quevedo will face justice, but he faces some very serious charges,” said Todd Lyons, Boston Field Office Director of Enforcement and Removal Operations. “He posed a significant threat to the children in our Massachusetts communities. ERO Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by apprehending and removing serious non-citizen offenders from our New England neighborhoods.”

The encounter is one of several recent cases of alleged sexual assault involving illegal immigrants. ICE officials last week announced the arrest of a Colombian national accused of attacking a mentally disabled victim.

In May, a Baltimore man was arrested by immigration officials after being convicted of a sex crime against a minor. Raul Calderon-Interiano, 25, was released by Baltimore County authorities despite an immigration arrest warrant being issued against him.

In January, ICE conducted a seven-day operation in 25 U.S. cities, arresting more than 100 illegal immigrants on child sexual abuse charges. The charges against the arrested migrants included sexual assault, rape, murder and child pornography.

READ MORE | Haitian migrant admits to sexually abusing 10-year-old girl in Florida, police say

The Biden administration last week sought to deter dangerous criminals from entering the U.S. by issuing a presidential proclamation that would deny migrants asylum if authorities determine the border is overwhelmed. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) condemned the measure and called for a more forceful response from the president.

“Biden’s new border plan is a joke,” he wrote of X. “Even if Biden actually enforced it in full (which he won’t), he would still allow nearly a million people a year to enter illegally, IN ADDITION to the 10 million he’s already let in over the past three years.”

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