An internationally wanted fugitive with a lengthy criminal record—including an admitted 2013 killing—was arrested in New York City for illegally entering the United States, federal immigration officials said.
Sobirjon Sobirov Khusen Ugli, a 35-year-old Uzbek national, was arrested near his Brooklyn residence on Oct. 14, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Officials said he crossed into the country illegally through Lukeville, Arizona, more than three and a half years earlier.
Sobirov had remained at large in the United States despite acknowledging that he killed his girlfriend in Thailand in 2013, ICE officials said.
Sobirov was arrested in connection with the killing and told police that he placed his girlfriend’s body in a suitcase before dumping it in a canal, according to media reports cited by ICE. It was not immediately clear whether he was convicted or served prison time for the murder.
In 2020, Sobirov was convicted of felony theft in Uzbekistan and sentenced to five years in prison, the agency said.
Authorities said he entered the United States illegally in April 2023 and was detained with 110 other migrants who had crossed the border.
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Sobirov was later released and issued a notice to appear in New York City immigration court. Officials said he reported for just one proceeding, in May 2024.
While living in New York City, Sobirov continued to draw police attention, ICE said.
The NYPD arrested him in 2024 on a charge involving harassing communications. A judge in Kings County Criminal Court also issued a restraining order against him, officials said.
Kenneth Genalo, director of ICE’s New York City Field Office, said the agency is focused on removing individuals it considers serious public safety threats, including Sobirov.
“Our officers work every day to identify, arrest and remove criminal illegal aliens before they can cause further harm in our communities,” Genalo said in a statement.
Sobirov remains in ICE custody as removal proceedings move forward, officials said.
