An illegal immigrant arrested in Boston for allegedly peddling “poison” fentanyl while armed is also wanted in his home country for gun running, and appears to be part of the “second surge” of ICE arrests the agency vowed to roll out in the city.

Julio Soto-Heredia, 44, of the Dominican Republic, was arrested Sunday by ICE agents, the agency announced Tuesday. He’s also wanted in his home country for alleged firearms trafficking.

“After Dominican authorities charged Julio Soto-Heredia with firearms trafficking, he later illegally entered the United States and attempted to hide out in Boston,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde.

“If that weren’t bad enough, Soto-Heredia apparently illegally armed himself and attempted to peddle poison in our Massachusetts neighborhoods,” Hyde added. “ICE Boston will not stand idly by while illegal alien offenders victimize the residents of our New England communities. We will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing criminal alien offenders.”

Soto-Heredia remains in ICE custody.

The bust hits as Immigration and Customs Enforcement leadership has committed to a second “surge” of arrests in Greater Boston.

The agency also announced the arrest of Kleber Lasso, an “illegal alien from Ecuador convicted for soliciting to commit murder and sentenced to only 1 year in jail. Brockton District Court failed to honor ICE’s detainer and released this criminal back onto Massachusetts’ streets.” He was arrested May 5.

On May 7, Senat Dufren, here illegally from Haiti, was arrested in Waltham and was charged with assault and battery and malicious destruction of property in Roxbury.

“Local authorities did not honor the detainer and released Dufren. He then went on to victimize more innocent Americans — including a pregnant woman. He was then arrested again on February 19, 2025, for assault and battery on a pregnant victim, assault and battery family/household, and assault and battery,” ICE added.

On May 12, Elismar Alves Ferreira, here illegally from Brazil, was charged with assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest, operating negligently, and disorderly conduct. ICE did not state the Massachusetts city or town where he was arrested.

Also on May 12, ICE arrested Carlos Araujo, an illegal alien from Uruguay. He was convicted of indecent assault and battery of a 7-year-old female.

On May 11, 2025, ICE arrested Fernando Pereira De Oliveria, here illegally from Brazil. He is charged with indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or over. ICE did not state the Massachusetts city or town where he was arrested.

On May 7, ICE Boston arrested Irwin Alexander Martinez, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, “near Chelsea.” He is an MS-13 gang member, ICE added. On the same day, ICE stated the agency caught up to Noe Pena Garcia, a 24-year-old illegal from El Salvador and suspected MS-13 gang member.

Also on May 7, ICE Boston grabbed Sergey Ivashkevich, who had an active Interpol Red Notice out of Kazakhstan for extortion with threat of violence.

Other arrests included suspected 18th Street gang members and cocaine dealers. The 18th Street clique, also known as Barrio 18, is a multi-ethnic street gang that started in Los Angeles and has become one of the nation’s largest gangs.

ICE and other federal agencies also arrested 11 roofers in Lowell on May 16. They were all Ecuadorian citizens. The feds targeted “a business with alleged unauthorized hiring practices” at a worksite in Lowell.

The Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) coalition could not be immediately reached for comment.

Originally Published: May 20, 2025 at 2:23 PM EDT

The CEO of a Massachusetts-based company has pleaded guilty to making false statements to the federal government, the U.S. Attorney said Monday.

Dr. Kingsley R. Chin, founder, president and CEO of SpineFrontier Inc., a medical device company headquartered in Malden, pleaded guilty on Thursday to one count of false statements to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Open Payments Program, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement.

U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Aug. 6.

The Physician Payment Sunshine Act requires device manufacturers like SpineFrontier to report any payments or transfers of value to physicians, including spine surgeons, Foley said.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services maintains a database, via the Open Payments website, which makes all such payments or transfers of value publicly accessible.

According to the charging documents, SpineFrontier offered surgeons the opportunity to engage in purported consulting on product development.

Specifically, Chin directed his employees to report the payment of fees paid to a surgeon as consulting fees that were not compensation for actual consulting work.

Chin caused his employees to report a payment of $4,750 on Jan. 19, 2016, to the surgeon as a “consulting” payment, even though Chin knew that the surgeon had not performed actual consulting work for the payment, prosecutors said.

Chin “also knew that he and SpineFrontier were required to accurately report any payments or transfers of value to the surgeon,” prosecutors said.

Chin faces a sentence of up to five years, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW