Migrant murderer busted
A Venezuelan national convicted of murder back home was arrested by local ICE agents while living in migrant shelter housing on Cape Cod.
Jordano Gotopo-Lopez, 38, was convicted of murder in 2006 yet made his way across the southern border in July and ended up in state housing at Joint Base Cape Cod in Bourne, the Herald has learned.
He was arrested a week ago without incident at his state-funded residence, a local law enforcement source with knowledge of the case said. The Cape base has been used as one of the state’s emergency shelters for migrants since June.
“What is the vetting for those shelters? Who knows,” the source said.
Immigration officials did say the illegal immigrant they arrested at the base “failed to disclose his previous homicide conviction to U.S. Border Patrol officials when they arrested him for unlawfully entering the United States in Eagle Pass, Texas, on July 31.”
Yet, border agents let him pass into the country while giving him a notice to appear at ICE offices within 60 days, “which he failed to do,” Immigration and Customs Enforcement stated.
“The people of Massachusetts have a right to be made aware of potential risks to their public safety, especially when an unlawfully present fugitive living in housing provided by the Commonwealth, is present in their community,” ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd M. Lyons said in a statement.
Gotopo-Lopez will remain in ICE custody until he is deported back to Venezuela.
In fiscal year 2022, ERO arrested 46,396 noncitizens with criminal histories. This group had 198,498 associated charges and convictions, including 21,531 assault offenses; 8,164 sex and sexual assault offenses; 5,554 weapons offenses; 1,501 homicide-related offenses; and 1,114 kidnapping offenses.
Gotopo-Lopez also had an Interpol “Red Notice” put out for his arrest for his conviction for murder.