ERO Philadelphia removes Guatemalan citizen wanted for child abuse, violence against women and abuse of power

PHILADELPHIA - Enforcement and Removal Operations Philadelphia removed Romeo Pop Sacui, a citizen of Guatemala with a final order of removal, to Guatemala Oct. 22. Pop is a foreign fugitive wanted by law enforcement authorities in Guatemala for child abuse, violence against women and abuse of power.

"Protecting the American public is a key priority for ERO officers," said ERO Philadelphia Field Office Director Cammilla Wamsley. "Our officers routinely arrest and remove violent criminal noncitizens, such as Romeo Pop Sacui, who have broken laws in their home country and continue to do so in the U.S."

The U.S. Border Patrol arrested Pop near Calexico, California, on March 14, 2019, for entering the United States without inspection or parole by an immigration official. U.S. Border Patrol authorities served Pop a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge charging inadmissibility March 15, 2019. On the same date, U.S. Border Patrol officials transferred Pop to ERO San Diego, which enrolled him in the Alternatives to Detention program and released him on an order of recognizance. ERO Miami terminated Pop from the Alternatives to Detention program March 27, 2019, after he absconded.

A Department of Justice immigration judge in Miami, Florida, ordered Pop removed from the United States to Guatemala in absentia on May 24, 2019.

On Sept. 2, 2024, the Harrisburg Police arrested Pop for simple assault and strangulation. Later that month, ERO Philadelphia arrested him in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, during an enforcement operation, and detained him at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, pending removal to Guatemala.

As one of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's three operational directorates, ERO is the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO's mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency's detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO's workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings, and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.

Members of the public can report crimes or suspicious activity by calling 866-347-2423 or completing ICE's online tip form.

Learn more about ERO's mission to increase public safety in your community on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROPhiladelphia.