SALT LAKE CITY — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers successfully removed 47-year-old fugitive Valdeci Passos-Soares to Brazil on May 31. Passos-Soares, a Brazilian national, was wanted in Brazil for drug trafficking and illegal possession of firearm ammunition.
Passos-Soares entered the U.S. unlawfully on August 15, 2022, when he was apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol in El Paso, Texas. He was released with a notice to appear in immigration court. Despite this, he failed to depart the United States as instructed by the immigration judge, and was subsequently arrested during an enforcement operation by ERO officers on May 1, 2025.
A federal immigration judge ordered Passos-Soares’ removal in absentia on October 23, 2023. With his extradition to Brazil, he was handed over to local authorities in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, to face the charges against him.
This removal is part of ICE’s ongoing efforts to ensure that individuals who violate U.S. immigration laws and pose a threat to public safety are held accountable. In fiscal year 2023, ERO officers arrested over 73,000 noncitizens with criminal histories, including those convicted of serious offenses like assault, homicide, and firearms violations.
ERO remains focused on protecting U.S. communities by enforcing immigration laws and ensuring the removal of individuals who violate these laws.
