Ishimwe Dieudonné, a 38-year-old Rwandan national who had been on the run from Rwandan justice, was arrested on March 3, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas, according to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
On October 13, 2023, Rwanda’s High Council sentenced Ishimwe Dieudonné to five years in prison after the Prosecution appealed a previous ruling by the Nyarugenge Intermediate Court, which had acquitted him on December 2, 2022. The High Council found him guilty of coercing another person into sexual intercourse and engaging in or soliciting sexual gratification.
“Foreign fugitives who attempt to evade responsibility for their criminal actions should take heed that we will find them,” said ICE Enforcement and Removals Operations Dallas acting Field Office Director Josh Johnson. “ICE will work relentlessly with our state, local and federal law enforcement partners by arresting and removing those who threaten the public safety of our communities.”
Following the ruling, Ishimwe was issued a summons in response to an arrest warrant issued by the Rwandan government, ICE officials confirmed. Rwandan prosecutors had officially issued the arrest warrant on October 29, 2024.
Despite residing in Fort Worth, Texas, Ishimwe did not possess legal documentation to stay in the United States, though he had initially entered the country lawfully. His arrest was facilitated by intelligence provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with ICE confirming that he remains in their custody while further actions are being determined.
Authorities have yet to announce whether Ishimwe will face extradition to Rwanda to serve his sentence.
