A 33-year-old Belgian convicted of sexually exploiting a child has been deported from the United States after being on the run for over a decade.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that Romulus Mihai was expelled from the United States on 31 July and handed over to Belgian authorities upon arrival. He is expected to serve the prison sentence imposed in Belgium for child sexual exploitation.
Mihai fled Belgium after his conviction and entered the United States in April 2013 under the visa waiver programme, concealing his criminal record. He later applied for US naturalisation but failed to disclose his conviction.
During the adjudication process, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate flagged the case and referred it to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Washington.
Mihai was arrested in April 2025, and on 26 June, a Department of Justice immigration judge ordered his removal.
"Together, we were able to identify, arrest and remove a child sex predator who had no legal right to remain in the United States," said Christopher Heck, acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Washington.
"Not only did Mihai victimise a child in his native country, but he also attempted to exploit the integrity of our immigration system to avoid accountability for his crime. We will continue to pursue, arrest and remove any foreign criminal offender who endangers our communities."
Another national
While a second Belgian national has been arrested in Albania based on an international warrant issued by Malta, according to Sudinfo.
In a separate case, Albanian authorities have detained a 20-year-old Belgian citizen identified only as A.K. at Tirana International Airport-Mother Teresa.
According to local officials, the arrest was carried out based on an international warrant issued by Malta’s First Instance Court.
A.K. is wanted for a series of offences committed on Maltese territory, including "causing grievous bodily harm," "criminal association," "theft," "possession, distribution or production of child pornography," and "breach of bail conditions."
The suspect is currently awaiting extradition proceedings.
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