Defendant fled after being released from state custody despite immigration detainer
BOSTON - A Colombian national, previously deported following conviction for cocaine trafficking, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for illegal reentry.
Fabian Herrera Vasquez, 36, of East Boston, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Herrera Vasquez was arrested and charged by complaint in October 2019 and has been held in federal custody since that time.
According to the charging documents, Herrera Vasquez was deported to Colombia on June 19, 2009, after a 2007 conviction for six counts of cocaine trafficking in Middlesex County. At the time of his deportation, Herrera Vasquez’s fingerprints and photograph were affixed to his warrant of removal.
According to the charging documents, in 2014, Herrera Vasquez was arrested by police for cocaine trafficking, at which time immigration authorities lodged a detainer. For reasons unknown, Herrera Vasquez was released from state custody, defaulted at his next court date and a warrant was issued for his arrest. On Sept. 19, 2019, Herrera Vasquez was arrested in Revere for various motor vehicle violations. At that time, he presented a Pennsylvania license with his photograph on it but in the identity of a Puerto Rican born United States citizen.
His fingerprints were difficult to obtain because of noticeable alterations. Ultimately, Herrera Vasquez was identified by, among other things, a fingerprint match of the print on his warrant of removal and the prints taken from his September 2019 arrest.
The charging statute for illegal reentry provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Marcos D. Charles, Acting Field Office Director, Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Weinstein of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
