A man who admitted to murdering his girlfriend in Thailand in 2013 was living in Brooklyn under federal immigration officials’ noses until ICE agents arrested him near his home on Oct. 14.
Sobirjon Sobirov Khusen Ugli, 35, a citizen of Uzbekistan, crossed illegally into the United States through Lukeville, Arizona more than three and a half years ago, ICE announced Monday. He was one of a group of 110 border crossers detained at the time, in April 2023, and was released into the country with a notice to appear for immigration proceedings in New York City. He reported just once, in May 2024.
Press reports cited by ICE say Sobirov confessed to killing his girlfriend in Thailand, stuffing her body into a suitcase and dumping it in a canal. It is not clear whether he was convicted or served time for that killing.
In 2020, Uzbek authorities convicted him of felony theft and sentenced him to five years in prison. None of that record stopped him from entering the United States and settling in New York City.
While living in Brooklyn, Sobirov was arrested by the NYPD for harassing communication, and a Kings County Criminal Court judge issued a restraining order against him in 2024, officials said.
ICE’s New York City Field Office Director Kenneth Genalo said the agency targets people like Sobirov specifically because of the danger they pose.
“Our officers work every day to identify, arrest and remove criminal illegal aliens before they can cause further harm in our communities,” Genalo said.
Sobirov is now in ICE custody and faces removal proceedings.
