A citizen of El Salvador, previously convicted of double homicide and sentenced to 50 years in prison in his home country, has been charged with illegally reentering the United States. Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced the charges against César Eliseo Sorto-Amaya, aged 28.
Sorto-Amaya was charged by complaint for illegal reentry and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte at the Newark federal court. The case documents reveal that since 2015, Sorto-Amaya has been deported from and returned to the United States three times without authorization. One of these instances followed a conviction for weapons possession in Elizabeth, New Jersey. In April 2024, he was convicted in absentia in El Salvador for double aggravated homicide and received a 50-year prison sentence.
Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents from several agencies for their roles in the investigation: the Federal Bureau of Investigation under Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly; U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark under Special Agent in Charge Ricky Patel; Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations under Field Office Director John Tsoukaris; as well as law enforcement authorities in El Salvador.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Stern from the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.
"The charges and allegations contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty."
Defense counsel for Sorto-Amaya is Carol Dominguez, Esq.
