Colombian man convicted of 2014 homicide found hiding in Pittsfield

PITTSFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A man was arrested in Pittsfield in connection with a 2014 homicide in Colombia.

On Monday, May 6th Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston arrested 49-year-old Efrain Vidales Vargas near his Pittsfield residence. According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Vargas is a Colombian national who was arrested in Bucaramanga, Colombia, on April 5, 2014, and charged with aggravated homicide, aggravated theft and possession of a weapon.

Vargas was convicted and sentenced to 17 years in prison on September 29, 2016. According to NewsNation , he was released with a notice to appear due to a ‘national bed space shortage’ caused by the Southwest border surge. The U.S. Border Patrol caught him near San Luis, Arizona in November 2023 trying to enter the U.S. unlawfully. They issued him a notice to appear before a Department of Justice (DOJ) immigration judge and released him on an order of recognizance.

“This Colombian national is wanted in his home country for some very serious crimes,” said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd M. Lyons. “He attempted to hide out in Massachusetts, and now he will have to answer for his actions. ERO Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by aggressively apprehending and removing the most egregious noncitizen offenders from our New England neighborhoods.”

ICE was flagged about an Interpol notice for Vargas by a liaison in Colombia, leading to his arrest by Boston deportation officers on May 6 in Pittsfield.

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