BOSTON — Billionaire Elon Musk is calling out “sanctuary” cities for protecting child rapists, after federal immigration authorities announced the Massachusetts arrests of three undocumented migrants who were either convicted or charged with sex crimes against children.
“Why are ‘sanctuary’ cities protecting child rapists? Unconscionable,” Musk said in a post on his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday, in commenting on the arrests in Massachusetts. “Any politician who does so should be recalled immediately.”
Musk’s comments came as news broke about recent federal arrests of three foreign nationals in the Bay State, including a convicted child rapist and fugitive who fled his home country before serving a 14-year prison sentence.
Alexandre Romao De Oliveira, 41, of Brazil, was earlier convicted of child rape in Brazil. Billy Erney Buitrago-Bustos, 42, of Colombia, and Mynor Stiven De Paz-Munoz, 21, of Guatemala, were each earlier arrested and charged with raping a child in Massachusetts, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Boston division.
News of the arrests came as Boston Mayor Michelle Wu on Wednesday responded to President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming border czar Tom Homan, who recently criticized Wu for her stance on immigration and vowing not to cooperate with federal authorities who enforce immigration laws. Boston is one of multiple “sanctuary” cities in the Bay State.
“What mayor or governor doesn’t want public safety threats out of their communities? I mean that’s your number one responsibility is to protect your communities and that’s exactly what we’re going to do,” Homan said in an interview with Newsmax on Monday.
Romao De Oliveira, a convicted child rapist in his native Brazil, was arrested Monday in the city of Methuen, immigration officials said.
The Brazilian national “fled his home country to evade justice,” Enforcement Removal Operations Boston Acting Field Office Director Patricia Hyde said in a statement, adding that his arrest resulted from collaboration between ERO Boston, ICE attaché offices around the world, and foreign law enforcement.
The First Criminal Court of Jaru, Rondonia, Brazil convicted Romao De Oliveira on Feb. 10, 2022 of rape of a child and sentenced him to serve 14 years. He fled Brazil prior to serving his sentence.
Federal immigration authorities said Romao De Oliveira entered the U.S. near Santa Teresa, New Mexico on Apr. 16, 2022, without admission by an immigration official. He was released from federal custody after having been served with a notice to appear before a judge with the Department of Justice Executive Office of Immigration Review.
De Paz-Munoz, who is “accused of horrifically victimizing a Massachusetts child,” was arrested on Nov. 12 in Great Barrington, a small town in western Massachusetts, Hyde said. He entered the U.S. on Sept. 24, 2020 near Eagle Pass, Texas, without admission by an immigration official, and was released by U.S. Border Patrol with a notice to appear before a judge with the Department of Justice Executive Office of Immigration Review.
On Feb. 29, Great Barrington Police arrested De Paz-Munoz for rape of a child by force, rape of a child, and indecent assault and battery on person 14 or older, Hyde said.
[ Guatemalan national accused of raping 10-year-old Mass. girl in federal custody after posting bail ]
According to ERO Boston, an immigration detainer lodged with Great Barrington Police following his arrest was ignored and De Paz-Munoz was released on bail before federal immigration officers could respond to take him into custody.
In 2017, the town of Great Barrington, one of multiple “sanctuary” cities in the Bay State, adopted a so-called “trust policy” that will not enforce federal immigration law or “aid in the detention, transfer, transport or deportation of residents for civil immigration purposes,” The Berkshire Edge reported at the time.
“That’s the policy that was adhered by the town and we follow it,” Great Barrington Police Sgt. Adam Carlotto told Boston 25 on Thursday night. “The department is bound by town policy in regards to detainers.”
The Berkshire County Superior Court charged De Paz-Munoz with the crimes, which remain pending.
Federal immigration officers arrested Buitrago-Bustos in Pittsfield in western Massachusetts on Nov. 15.
On Oct. 8, 2023, Great Barrington Police arrested Buitrago-Bustos for rape of a child by force, statutory rape, and aggravated rape in what Hyde termed “the most heinous and reprehensible of crimes.”
ERO Boston lodged an immigration detainer for Buitrago-Bustos with Great Barrington Police after his arrest. He was ordered held without bail following his arraignment in the Southern Berkshire District Court on Oct. 12, 2023. On March 18, the charges were elevated to the Berkshire County Superior Court.
[ Guatemalan national arrested and charged with rape of Massachusetts child ]
The Berkshire County Jail and House of Correction in Pittsfield honored the immigration detainer and released Buitrago-Bustos into the custody of ERO Boston on Nov. 15 after he posted bail, Hyde said. ERO Boston issued a notice for Buitrago-Bustos to appear before a judge with the Department of Justice Executive Office of Immigration Review.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection admitted Buitrago-Bustos into the U.S. on May 4, 2016 at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, but he failed to leave under the terms of his visa, Hyde said.
Buitrago-Bustos and De Paz-Munoz remain in federal custody.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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