Three states, three deaths: ICE arrests illegal aliens charged in fatal crash, capsizing, stabbing

An illegal immigrant from Brazil arraigned for vehicular homicide was arrested by ICE in Boston this week and was released from state and local custody three times due to sanctuary policies.

Heriton Da Silva Aredes, whose age is unknown, was arrested on August 6 in Taunton, Massachusetts, by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from the Boston office, ICE reported. Aredes previously had been convicted of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery, using a motor vehicle without authority, refusal to identify himself while operating a vehicle, using a false name, operating a vehicle recklessly, and refusing identification. He was most recently arraigned for vehicular homicide.

"Habitual criminal illegal alien offender" Sheriff says

“Sadly, it appears as though Bristol County Sheriff Paul Heroux followed through on his promise to not cooperate with ICE, resulting in the release of this habitual criminal illegal alien offender, who is currently charged with vehicular homicide, back into his constituents’ community,” acting ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston Field Office Director David Wesling said in a press release. 

“In fact, on three separate occasions, this criminal illegal alien was in the custody of state or local authorities, and they released him without honoring our detainer. Had any of the prior detainers been honored, lives would have been saved. While sanctuary politicians sign performative legislation to protect habitual criminal offenders like Aredes, ERO Boston will continue to prioritize the law-abiding citizens of our communities,” Wesling added.

Aredes was removed from the United States on Oct. 14, 2008, following a final order of removal from June of that year. He illegally reentered the country sometime after, and was arrested in Middleboro, Massachusetts, in August 2023, but was released before ICE could detain him. Aredes was later arrested in Stoughton but again released before ICE arrived. On July 25, 2026, following arraignment for vehicular homicide by negligent operation, the Bristol House of Corrections released Aredes without notifying ICE.

ICE was finally able to arrest Aredes on Aug. 6.

Just days after Aredes was arrested, another illegal immigrant was arrested in New York following a boat accident that killed a woman and her infant, the Department of Homeland Security said in a press release.

The suspect, Manuel Ernesto Hernandez-Umana of El Salvador, was allegedly conducting unlicensed tours in New York Harbor. His boat was over capacity and capsized, leading to the death of a 27-year-old woman and her 5-month-old infant.

“This criminal illegal alien was illegally and recklessly conducting unlicensed boat tours in New York Harbor when his boat capsized, killing a 27-year-old woman and her 5-month-old baby,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in the press release. “Thanks to the hard work of the men and women of the Coast Guard, ICE, and our federal, state, and local partners, this criminal is off our streets and out of our waterways. Once he faces justice for his crimes, we will make sure that he is swiftly removed from our country.”

Abusing the law to favor illegal immigrants

Earlier this week, a 19-year-old illegal immigrant was arrested in connection with the stabbing of Carmen Lizet Puch, 42. Alexis Antonio Cedillos-Campos allegedly stabbed Puch and poured gasoline over her in Fairfax County, Virginia, which also limits its cooperation with ICE. Cedillos-Campos was reportedly arrested in April 2024 after he illegally entered the U.S., but he was released into the country under the Biden administration’s immigration policies.

"Biden and Mayorkas hand-delivered alleged killer Cedillos-Campos to the streets of Fairfax County. They recklessly unleashed millions of unvetted illegal aliens into American communities and abused the law to do so," a DHS spokesperson told 7News.

Puch, a mother of a 3-year-old girl, worked at the same restaurant as Cedillos-Campos and was reportedly in an intimate relationship with her.