BOSTON — ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston arrested Albercio Francisco Lessa on May 21, a Brazilian national the U.S. immigration system had on its books as just another illegal immigrant — and Brazil had on its books as a convicted rapist owing sixteen years, nine months, and eighteen days of prison time.

Brazilian authorities had already issued a criminal arrest warrant for Lessa following his statutory rape conviction, ERO Boston said. The sentence waiting back home runs nearly seventeen years. ERO Boston found him in Massachusetts instead.

ICE used the announcement to hammer a point the agency has been making louder all year: the "non-criminal" label attached to most illegal immigrants in domestic enforcement statistics only counts U.S. convictions. Foreign convictions — including for sex crimes — do not show up unless somebody goes looking.

Lessa is in ICE custody.