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ICE names eight criminals Boston police released instead of handing over — their rap sheets include arson and disposing of a human body

Wednesday, March 18, 2026•
7 min read
MDN Staff
•
ICE names eight criminals Boston police released instead of handing over — their rap sheets include arson and disposing of a human body

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BOSTON — Arson. Disposing of a human body. Child cruelty. Assault with a knife. Four separate drug dealing convictions.
These are the criminal records of illegal immigrants that Boston police released back onto the streets after denying ICE immigration detainers — and on Wednesday, the federal agency decided to put every last one of them on blast.
ICE dropped a thread on X naming eight criminal illegal immigrants its Boston field office was forced to track down and arrest after the city's police department refused to hold them for federal agents. The agency also accused Boston PD of lying about the scale of the problem — claiming the department said it denied just 57 detainers when the real number was over 167 in 2025 alone.
Then came the names.

The lineup

Oliver Gaffey Oswin, a Barbadian national, tops the list with convictions for arson, improper disposal of a human body, drug violations, and driving offenses. His rap sheet also includes arrests for strangulation, suffocation, and domestic violence. Boston police had him — and let him go.
Carlos Arody Cuevas De La Cruz, a Dominican national, had charges for assault with a knife, assault and battery, and drug crimes. Released by local officials. ICE went and got him.
Esmailyn De Los Santos Bernabel racked up four drug dealing convictions. Not one. Four. Local officials released him back into the community anyway. ICE arrested him.

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Daniel Yoel Nova Cruz faces charges for felony assault, cruelty towards a child, and aggravated assault with a weapon. ICE Boston arrested him "to keep the community safe."
Cristhofer Figuereo-Cuello, a Dominican national, had assault and battery on his record. Released. Arrested by ICE.
Breno Serafim Almeida Ferreira, a Brazilian national, had pending charges for aggravated assault with a weapon. ICE arrested him "to keep him from returning to New England streets."
Fidel Ramirez-Hernandez, a Guatemalan national, had assault and battery on his rap sheet. Same story — released locally, picked up by ICE.
Peter Barrera-Perdomo, a Colombian national, was arrested for shoplifting.
Eight names. Eight mugshots. Eight criminals that Boston police could have handed over to federal agents — and chose not to.

The bigger picture

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu
Mayor Michelle Wu has repeatedly resisted federal immigration enforcement and fought lawsuits challenging Boston's sanctuary policies.
The thread is the latest salvo in an ongoing war between federal immigration authorities and Boston's sanctuary city policies under Mayor Michelle Wu. ICE has repeatedly accused the city of prioritizing ideology over public safety.
The city council, for its part, recently voted 9-4 to block the public from learning whether denied ICE detainers involved actual criminals. ICE just answered that question for them — with names, nationalities, and rap sheets.
ICE director previously called Boston's approach "politically motivated." Wednesday's thread suggests the agency has moved past words.
One hundred and sixty-seven denied detainers. Eight dangerous criminals named publicly. And a police department that, according to the federal government, understated the numbers by two-thirds.
Boston PD has not responded to the thread.

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