FALMOUTH, Mass. — A Brazilian national who is in the country illegally has been arrested on rape charges in a Cape Cod town, federal immigration authorities said Monday.
Willian Robert Vasconcelos-Dos Santos, 21, of Brazil, is charged with three counts of rape and one count of selling or delivering liquor to a person under 21, according to the clerk’s office at Falmouth District Court.
Falmouth Police arrested Vasconcelos-Dos Santos on Jan. 20, and charged him with rape, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement on Monday.
Vasconcelos-Dos Santos was arraigned in Falmouth District Court on Jan. 21. Further details on the alleged rape were not immediately available on Tuesday.
“Willian Robert Vasconcelos-Dos Santos is charged with horrifically victimizing a Massachusetts resident and represents a significant threat to the residents of our communities,” ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia Hyde said in a statement.
ICE lodged an immigration detainer with the Falmouth District Court against Vasconcelos-Dos Santos on the day of his arrest for rape, Jan. 20.
The court released him into ICE custody the next day, on Jan. 21, and ICE served him with a notice of custody determination upon his arrest, officials said.
“In this case, we appreciate the Falmouth District Court honoring the ICE immigration detainer and allowing our officers to take custody of Vasconcelos in the safety of a jail cell rather than having to arrest him at large,” Hyde said.
The U.S. Border Patrol arrested Vasconcelos-Dos Santos after he illegally entered the United States near San Diego on April 10, 2024, federal officials said.
Border Patrol agents served Vasconcelos-Dos Santos with a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge and released him on an order of recognizance.
Vasconcelos-Dos Santos is due back in court on March 7.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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