BOSTON, Mass. — A Brazilian national convicted of aggravated murder and other violent crimes in her home country was deported from the United States last month by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers based in Boston.
Lenaria Aparecida Pereira Sandoval, who had been living in Massachusetts, was removed on March 27 and turned over to Brazilian law enforcement to begin serving a 17-year sentence stemming from her 2021 conviction in Brazil for aggravated first-degree murder, desecration of a corpse, and motor vehicle theft.
Key Points
- Lenaria Sandoval was deported to Brazil March 27 after being convicted of murder and other charges in absentia.
- ICE Boston arrested her in February 2023 after determining she had violated terms of her U.S. admission.
- A Brazilian court sentenced her to 17 years in prison for her crimes, including desecrating a corpse.
Fugitive lived in Massachusetts community
Sandoval lawfully entered the U.S. through Orlando, Florida, on December 27, 2015, but later violated the conditions of her stay. After her conviction in absentia by a Brazilian court on September 21, 2021, authorities in Brazil issued a warrant for her arrest.
“Lenaria Aparecida Pereira Sandoval committed some horrifying crimes in her native country and then attempted to evade justice by hiding out in our Massachusetts community,” said Patricia H. Hyde, acting Field Office Director of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston.
ICE officers arrested Sandoval on February 27, 2023, and issued her a notice to appear before an immigration judge.
Immigration judge ordered removal in 2024
On August 27, 2024, a Department of Justice immigration judge ordered Sandoval’s removal from the U.S. ICE officials carried out the removal order seven months later, deporting Sandoval to Brazil, where she is now in custody.
ICE officials reiterated their commitment to public safety, vowing continued efforts to remove foreign nationals convicted of violent crimes from U.S. communities.
ICE deports convicted Brazilian killer after years hiding in Massachusetts.