BOSTON (CMC) – The United States Immigration and Enforcement (ICE) agency says officers from its Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in Boston, Massachusetts have arrested an unlawfully-present Jamaican national convicted of sexual assault and battery of a Massachusetts resident.

On Friday, ICE said the 30-year-old, Jamaican-born, convicted sex offender was apprehended in Barnstable, Massachusetts.

It said deportation officers apprehended the unidentified Jamaican non-citizen, who was convicted of two counts of indecent assault and battery of a person over the age of 14 in November 2023, during a nationwide law enforcement effort that netted 275 noncitizen sex offenders. The nationwide operation ran from February 5 to February 16.

“This unlawfully present Jamaican national – whose name was not released, posed a significant threat to the residents of Massachusetts,” said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd M Lyons. “We simply cannot allow noncitizen sex offenders to roam the streets of New England victimizing the law-abiding people of our communities.

“ERO Boston stands committed to prioritizing the safety of our public by apprehending and removing such predators,” he added.

ICE said the Jamaican national entered the United States in May 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina, on a non-immigrant visa that permitted him to remain in the United States until April 11, 2018. ICE said he failed to leave by that date.

In August 2022, ICE said police in Barnstable arrested and charged him with two counts of obscene material to a minor, two counts of indecent assault and battery on person over 14 years of age, and assault to rape a child.

ICE said the Jamaican national pleaded guilty to the two counts of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14 years of age in the Barnstable District Court in November 2023.

The court sentenced him to three years of supervised probation and dismissed the remaining charges, ICE said

It said deportation officers from ERO Boston apprehended him on February 12 in Wellfleet and took him into custody, where he will remain in ERO custody pending removal proceedings.

The immigration enforcement agency said this apprehension was part of a nationwide enforcement effort targeting noncitizens with sexual offenses.

It said deportation officers from ERO field offices arrested 275 individuals presenting significant threats to public safety.

In fiscal year 2023, ICE said ERO arrested 73,822 noncitizens with criminal histories; this group had 290,178 associated charges and convictions with an average of four per individual, ICE said.