Federal immigration officers arrested an internationally wanted illegal migrant in New York City after he allegedly spent years living freely in the United States despite admitting that he murdered his girlfriend in Thailand, according to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as reported by The New York Post.

Sobirjon Sobirov Khusen Ugli, a 35 year old native of Uzbekistan, was taken into custody near his Brooklyn home on Oct. 14. ICE announced the arrest Monday and said Sobirov had entered the United States illegally more than three and a half years earlier.

His history stretched well beyond an immigration violation. ICE described Sobirov as a dangerous criminal with a lengthy record that included an admitted murder in Thailand and a felony theft conviction in his native Uzbekistan.

A holy and pure illegal alien has been arrested by ICE! Do you or do you not intend to raise your voice in protest, your honor? @NYCMayor ─────────────

On Oct. 14, 2026, ICE officers from New York City arrested Sobirjon Sobirov Khusen Ugli, 35, a criminal illegal alien from Uzbekistan, near his home in Brooklyn. In 2013, Sobirov was arrested for, and admitted to, the murder of his then-girlfriend in Thailand, stuffing her in a suitcase, and dumping the suitcase in a canal, according to press reports. He was also convicted of felony theft in Uzbekistan in 2020 and sentenced to five years of imprisonment. He was also arrested by the NYPD for harassing communication and was subject to a 2024 restraining order issued by the Kings County Criminal Court. Sobirov was first encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol in April 2023 after illegally crossing the border near Lukeville, Arizona, within a group of 110 individuals. He was released into the United States on his own recognizance with a notice to appear for immigration proceedings in New York City at a later date. He reported once, in May 2024, and has never reported since. Sobirov will be held in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. https://t.co/2xYeojWNHN — Crime In NYC (@Crime_In_NYC) November 10, 2026

According to press reports cited by ICE, Sobirov admitted that he murdered his girlfriend in Thailand in 2013. He reportedly told police that he stuffed her body into a suitcase and dumped it in a canal.

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Sobirov was arrested in connection with that killing, but questions remain about what happened afterward. It was not immediately clear whether he was convicted or whether he served any time for the murder.

His criminal record continued in Uzbekistan, where he was found guilty of felony theft in 2020. ICE said Sobirov received a five-year prison sentence for that offense.

Despite that history, Sobirov later reached the United States. Authorities said he illegally crossed the border near Lukeville, Arizona, in April 2023 as part of a group of 110 border crossers.

Sobirov was detained after entering the country illegally, according to immigration officials. He was then released into the United States with a notice directing him to appear for immigration proceedings in New York City.

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The internationally wanted migrant reported for those immigration proceedings only once, in May 2024, officials said. He nevertheless remained in the country and was living in Brooklyn by the time ICE officers located and arrested him.

His encounters with law enforcement did not end after his release into the United States. ICE said Sobirov was arrested by the New York Police Department while living in New York City.

The NYPD arrest involved harassing communication, according to officials. A Kings County Criminal Court judge also issued a restraining order against Sobirov in 2024.

ICE characterized Sobirov as precisely the sort of public safety threat its officers prioritize. The agency said its New York City field office focuses particularly on finding and apprehending dangerous criminal illegal migrants.

Kenneth Genalo, director of ICE’s New York City Field Office, said officers work daily to locate criminal illegal migrants and remove them before they can inflict additional harm in American communities.

“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.

The arrest brought Sobirov’s time living freely in New York City to an end, at least while his immigration case proceeds. ICE said he remains in the agency’s custody following the Oct. 14 operation near his Brooklyn residence.

Removal proceedings against Sobirov are now underway, officials said. ICE did not provide additional information about the timing of those proceedings or clarify whether his admitted 2013 murder affected his immigration case.

The case traces a stark path from an admitted killing in Thailand and a felony conviction in Uzbekistan to an illegal border crossing in Arizona, release into the United States, and another arrest in New York City.

For now, Sobirov remains detained by ICE as federal immigration authorities pursue his removal from the country. The agency presented his arrest as part of its effort to target illegal migrants considered dangerous threats to public safety.

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