ERO Philadelphia removes Brazilian national wanted for drug trafficking

PHILADELPHIA - Enforcement and Removal Operations Philadelphia removed Garibaldo Rissato Borges, a citizen of Brazil with a final order of removal, to Brazil Nov. 1. Rissato is a foreign fugitive wanted by law enforcement authorities in Brazil for drug trafficking.

"ERO Philadelphia remains steadfast in its commitment to preserve public safety. Noncitizens such a Rissato, a criminal who fled justice in his home country, are threats to the citizens of the U.S.," said acting ERO Philadelphia Field Office Director Brian McShane. "We will continue to safeguard the American public by arresting and removing noncitizens that are a threat to public safety and our national security."

The U.S. Border Patrol arrested Rissato near Tecate, California for entering the United States without inspection by an immigration official Dec. 2, 2023 and was released Dec. 5, 2023, with a notice to appear.

Officers with ERO arrested Rissato during a targeted enforcement operation in Salisbury, Maryland April 23, and held him in ERO custody for his immigration proceedings.

An immigration judge ordered Rissato removed Oct. 8 to Brazil.

As one of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) three operational directorates, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) is 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.