U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has recently carried out the removal of Romulus Mihai, a 33-year-old Belgian national who had been living in the United States illegally and was wanted in his home country for sexual exploitation of a child, according to a report by ICE. Mihai was turned over to Belgian authorities on July 31 after fleeing to the U.S. to evade a prison sentence for his conviction on a child sex crime in Belgium; he was arrested by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Washington, D.C. in April 2025.
"The arrest of Romulus Mihai is a testament to the outstanding collaboration between HSI and USCIS. Together, we were able to identify, arrest and remove a child sex predator who had no legal right to remain in the U.S.," said HSI Washington, D.C. acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Heck in a statement obtained by ICE's news release, "Not only did Mihai victimize a child in his native country; he attempted to exploit the integrity of our immigration system to avoid accountability for his crime." Mihai initially entered the United States through the visa waiver program in April 2013, and subsequently filed for U.S. citizenship without ever disclosing his criminal past.
During Mihai's naturalization process, the Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) referred his case to HSI for further investigation after discovering his undisclosed criminal history. The evidence gathered led to Mihai's arrest, followed by an immigration judge's order for his removal on June 26. On the day of the removal, ICE officers facilitated his transfer back to Belgium, where he was handed over to the local authorities.
For members of the community with information about criminal activities, ICE encourages reaching out to the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE or filling out their online tip form, ensuring community involvement remains a critical component of their mission, which includes prosecuting, arresting, and removing those individuals who pose a threat to national security and public safety, and such commitment is evidenced by the rigorous pursuit and eventual capture of Mihai, who attempted to sidestep judicial retribution through manipulation of the U.S. immigration systems. To learn more about the continued efforts of HSI Washington, D.C. to uphold safety standards in Maryland, the public can visit their webpage and follow @HSI_DC on their respective platforms.
