Federal authorities arrested an illegal alien from Jamaica whose criminal history in the U.S. dates back to the 1990s.
On Friday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the apprehension of 48-year-old Richard Alfanso Smith, who was already under a final order of removal.
Smith tried unsuccessfully to escape from agents during a routine enforcement operation on Wednesday in Basking Ridge, New Jersey.
The Jamaican has been arrested at least 15 times in the past 30 years, ICE explained in a press release.
In 1996, he was convicted of assault, burglary, harassment, and disorderly conduct.
“Smith was sentenced to four years in June 1999, for aggravated assault and resisting arrest and, during the same month, was sentenced to another four years for manufacture, distribution, and possession with intent to distribute heroin,” according to ICE.
He was back on the loose in less than three years, and in 2002, he was convicted of marijuana possession and sentenced to 36 days in prison.
In 2004, he was sentenced to another four years for assault and possession of a controlled dangerous substance.
In 2006, he was handed a six-year sentence for aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a weapon.
And in 2014, he was convicted for resisting arrest.
ICE arrested a citizen of Jamaica who has an extended history of convictions and sentencings in New Jersey. Multiple law enforcement agencies provided resources and support leading up to the alien’s arrest. He is in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. https://t.co/hdUkvjW1OC pic.twitter.com/GSAZGgWnel
— ERO Newark (@ERONewark) February 21, 2025
“In a collaborated effort, ICE arrested Richard Alfanso Smith, a citizen of Jamaica who has more than 15 criminal arrests with his convictions,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Newark Field Office Director John Tsoukaris.
“His extensive track record of arrests, convictions and imprisonments is not compliant with our nation’s immigration laws. We are grateful for the resources our law enforcement partners were able to pool together quickly in real time to ensure the target was apprehended.”
It is unclear if Smith was ever deported from the U.S.