Federal prosecutors charged and sentenced multiple people across Western New York this month as part of a coordinated push against illegal re-entry cases tied to traffic stops and border encounters.
U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced a wave of arrests, charges, and guilty pleas involving eight defendants accused of illegally re-entering the United States after prior removals.
Four arrested across Erie County suburbs
Federal agents charged four men in separate criminal complaints after encounters in Amherst, Cheektowaga, Lancaster, and Williamsville.
Investigators say each man admitted they were in the United States without legal status and had previously been removed from the country. The alleged encounters happened between December 2 and December 4 during traffic stops and law enforcement contacts.
Records show the defendants had prior removals dating back as far as 2008. All four made initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and remain detained.
Two more arrests follow traffic stops
In separate cases, two men from Mexico were arrested after traffic stops on December 6.
According to prosecutors, one refused to identify himself during a stop, while the other initially claimed U.S. citizenship before officers spotted a Mexican consular card. Investigators later determined both had been removed from the country multiple times in the past.
Both defendants appeared before Judge McCarthy and were detained pending further proceedings.
Guilty pleas lead to time served
Two additional defendants from Honduras pleaded guilty to illegal re-entry and were sentenced to time served.
Border Patrol agents encountered the men in Erie County in October. Prosecutors say both lacked legal status and had prior removals, including multiple removals in one case.
After sentencing, the men were turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Part of nationwide enforcement effort
All of the cases fall under Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative focused on immigration enforcement and dismantling transnational criminal organizations.
Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol led the investigations, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations in some cases.
Federal officials emphasized that criminal complaints are accusations and that defendants remain presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].