ICE, DEA Make Arrests On Nantucket Of Alleged "Illegal Criminal Aliens"

The federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency and Drug Enforcement Administration's New England Division conducted a joint operation to arrest "illegal criminal aliens on Nantucket."

The DEA stated that it had arrested a male suspect with prior charges of kidnapping and domestic assault and battery. A female suspect was also taken into custody. Neither were identified by authorities, and no further information about the two suspects was immediately available.

“The DEA, along with our Department of Justice partners, is assisting DHS and other federal law enforcement partners with their immigration enforcement efforts," said Stephen Belleau, the acting special agent in charge of the DEA's New England Field Division, in a statement provided to the Current. An agency spokesperson, Kristen Govostes, added "we cannot provide any other information at this time."

A source told the Current the male suspect was a Dominican national.

The operation was conducted in coordination with U.S. Coast Guard Station Woods Hole, which transported the federal agents to the island and back to the mainland with the suspect.

Coast Guard Station Brant Point master chief Lance Wiser said the island Coast Guard station was not directly involved with the arrest, but supported the logistics of the operation.

The Nantucket Police Department stated it was contacted on Monday by the DEA about the operation and provided assistance to the federal agencies by identifying addresses and transporting agents.

"Their purpose on-island was to serve an administrative arrest warrant," NPD announced in a press release. "The arrest warrant was specifically for a ‘violent offender’. The U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, not unlike many local, state or federal agencies, requested our assistance with local knowledge of geographical areas of our town. The Nantucket Police Department, specifically the Detective Unit, did assist with identifying requested addresses provided to them and transportation of the D.E.A."

In two photos released by the DEA on Tuesday, agents appeared facing away from the camera with two people in handcuffs.

The arrest marked the first known operation by federal agencies since President Donald Trump was inaugurated in January and his administration began stepping up immigration enforcement, promising arrests of immigrants in the country illegally with criminal records and mass deportations.