U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents nabbed a Guatemalan man accused of sexually assaulting a child after Rhode Island officials let him slip through their fingers.
Felix Meletz Guarcas, 45, was arrested by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) team on Nov. 20 in a Cranston parking lot, after the Rhode Island Department of Corrections released him to home confinement, despite an active immigration detainer.
“We use immigration detainers as public safety tools,” said Patricia H. Hyde, acting Field Office Director for ERO Boston. “Unfortunately, the Department of Corrections doesn’t notify us about home confinement releases. As a result, we had to apprehend him in a public space, rather than a secure environment.”
Meletz Guarcas, who reportedly entered the U.S. illegally, has a disturbing rap sheet. In September, Providence police arrested him on multiple counts of first- and second-degree sexual assault of a child. Those charges are still pending.
His history with law enforcement dates back decades. In 2002, Pawtucket police arrested him for disorderly conduct and felony assault on police officers. He was convicted and sentenced to six months of probation.
Now in ICE custody, Meletz Guarcas is awaiting a hearing before an immigration judge.
ERO, tasked with enforcing immigration laws and removing dangerous individuals, criticized the handling of the case by local authorities. ICE officials argue the release of individuals subject to immigration detainers undermines public safety.
The agency urges anyone with information on crimes or illegal immigration activity to call 866-DHS-2-ICE or submit tips online.
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