Illegal immigrant wanted for Brazilian massacre of 11 arrested in New Hampshire

Antonio Jose De Abreu Vidal Filho, a 29-year-old former Brazilian military police officer, was arrested and taken into custody on Monday in Rye, New Hampshire by immigration officers. Filho escaped to the US in 2019, and has been listed as a fugitive on the Interpol Red Notice, which is an international wanted notice that provides information about a suspect that has been charged or convicted of serious crimes, according to the Boston Herald.

In June, a board of Brazilian judges in the city of Fortaleza had sentenced Filho to 275 years and 11 months in prison for his alleged role in the 2015 Curio Massacre, in which 11 individuals, including teens, were murdered and tortured, both physically and mentally, following the death of a police officer.

El Globo reports that Filho had moved to the United States after the massacre occurred which was in retaliation for the murder of a Brazilian police officer in Fortaleza.

Four teenagers under the age of 18, and three teens between the ages of 18 and 19, were among the victims that had been killed. According to El Globo, some of the victims killed had only been accused of minor crimes.

A resident in the city of Fortaleza recalled to the outlet that police officers went on a rampage which included invading homes, dragging people out into the street, and then killing them.

"They dragged him out of the house and shot him and another friend of his who was outside, already lying on the ground," the resident said.

Officers from Boston's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) took Filho into custody without incident, according to reports. Filho will be held in Immigration and Customs custody pending a hearing before a federal immigration judge.

Todd Lyons, ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd Lyons, told Boston Herald, "The apprehension of this very dangerous foreign fugitive is an outstanding example of the professionalism and expertise of the officers of ERO Boston."

"We are proud to have taken this notorious criminal, convicted of participating in multiple heinous murders in Brazil, off our streets," Lyons said. "The dedication of ERO Boston officers has once again made our communities safer and more secure with this arrest."