U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in collaboration with the FBI, DEA, and ATF, has apprehended a previously convicted Brazilian national and validated gang member in Bellingham, Massachusetts. Caio Vitor Guimaraes-Silva, 21, was arrested on February 3, 2025, during an immigration enforcement operation.
“Caio Vitor Guimaraes-Silva has not only shown a blatant disregard for U.S. immigration laws, but he also presented a significant danger to the residents of Massachusetts,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “As a documented member of a violent street gang and an alien convicted of a violent crime, we could no longer abide Mr. Guimaraes’ presence in our community. ICE Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing illegal alien offenders from our New England neighborhoods.”
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According to ICE, Guimaraes lawfully entered the United States on September 3, 2017, but subsequently violated the terms of his admission.
On February 16, 2024, following his arrest by local authorities, ICE lodged an immigration detainer against Guimaraes with the Middlesex County House of Corrections. The specific local charges leading to that arrest were not detailed in the ICE release.
On September 9, 2024, the Milford District Court found Guimaraes guilty of two counts of assault and battery against a Massachusetts resident. He was sentenced to one year in prison, but the court suspended all but 90 days of the sentence.
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The court then released Guimaraes from state custody despite the outstanding ICE immigration detainer. This release allowed him to remain at large until his apprehension by federal authorities in February 2025. The details of the assault and battery case that the court sentenced him for were not made public.
The arrest highlights a point of contention between federal immigration enforcement and some state and local jurisdictions. “Sanctuary” policies in some areas limit or prohibit cooperation with ICE, often leading to the release of individuals with ICE detainers.
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