Two men from Mexico are facing prison time after border agents caught them illegally re-entering the United States near Buffalo this summer.
Ariel Benjamin Gregorio Santiago, 36, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four months in prison. Zeferino Marceliano Leon, 35, also pleaded guilty and was sentenced to time served. He has since been turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Border Patrol agents encountered the pair on July 24. During questioning, both men confirmed they were Mexican nationals and had no legal status in the U.S.
Investigators later found that Gregorio Santiago had been removed from the U.S. three times before — once in 2011 and twice in 2019. Marceliano Leon was removed in 2011.
Their cases were part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide effort by the U.S. Department of Justice aimed at curbing illegal immigration and dismantling transnational criminal organizations.
U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. accepted both guilty pleas in Buffalo federal court. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith prosecuted the case.
The investigation was led by U.S. Border Patrol under the direction of Patrol Agent-in-Charge David Banks.
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