ICE removes illegal immigrant Kanand Ojha from US over 2015 murder case in Guyana

ICE has announced the removal of a 45-year-old Guyanese man.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has announced the removal of a 45-year-old Guyanese man wanted in his home country for an alleged 2015 murder.Kanand Ojha was wanted by Guyanese police over the killing of Nephi Noel in Georgetown, the South American country’s capital, on July 15, 2015, ICE said in a press release.Ojha was arrested on September 8, 2025, in Long Island City, Queens, by members of the US Marshals Service’s New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force, which includes personnel from ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations.According to ICE, Ojha had entered the United States legally through John F Kennedy International Airport on July 22, 2015. However, his lawful immigration status was revoked five days later after authorities learned of the outstanding arrest warrant against him in Guyana.ICE said Ojha was removed from the United States on September 18.Guyanese authorities had also pursued an alleged accomplice in the killing, Ron “Andel” Forde. He was tried in June 2017 and sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter, according to ICE.“New Yorkers are safer today because this accused murderer is no longer free to roam our neighborhoods,” ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations New York City Field Office Director Kenneth Genalo said.Genalo also criticised officials who restrict cooperation between local agencies and federal immigration authorities, saying such policies put politics ahead of public safety and could allow dangerous fugitives to remain in communities.He added that under President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, removing dangerous individuals from communities was a central priority of the administration.