Federal law enforcement officials detained dozens of people during immigration enforcement operations on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard on Tuesday ahead of the busy summer tourist season, authorities said.
Raids conducted by officers with ICE Boston and agents with FBI Boston, DEA New England, and ATF Boston yielded about 40 apprehensions, including a documented MS-13 gang member and at least one child sex offender, according to a spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“Operations like this highlight the strong alliances that ICE shares with our fellow law enforcement partners,” ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde said in a statement. “ICE officers and FBI, DEA, and ATF agents worked together to arrest a significant number of illegal alien offenders, which included at least one child predator.”
USCG Sector Southeastern New England assisted the immigration enforcement operations by safely transporting those who were detained off the islands, according to Hyde.
Video captured by the Nantucket Current and shared with Boston 25 News showed the alleged offenders in transit.
"Our partners in the U.S. Coast Guard facilitated a safe and efficient transport of the alien offenders off Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, ensuring the safety of the residents of those communities," Hyde added.
Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division, said her office is committed to apprehending those who are breaking the law.
“This operation highlights FBI Boston’s ongoing commitment to supporting our partners at the Department of Homeland Security with identifying and apprehending those who are breaking the law by violating our immigration laws and, in some cases, committing crimes that endanger public safety,” Milka said in a statement.
Pictures taken by Nantucket Current photographers also showed the raids in progress.
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It wasn’t immediately clear if the operations targeted known criminal suspects or if it was a random sweep. The names of the people taken into custody weren’t released.
The Nantucket Police Department said it was notified that the feds were going to carry out the operations, but was never asked to assist.
Roads on Nantucket were noticeably less busy after the raid, and the parking lots of local schools were less congested as classes let out, the Nantucket Current reported.
There were no additional details immediately available.
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