U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), alongside the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, conducted a joint operation in Philadelphia on March 12. The operation resulted in the arrest of Virginia Basora-Gonzalez, a 36-year-old citizen of the Dominican Republic.
Basora-Gonzalez has prior convictions for attempted possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and aiding and abetting. She was previously deported from the United States but reentered without official permission.
"The apprehension of Virginia Basora-Gonzalez demonstrates our commitment to protecting our communities from criminal aliens who engage in serious illegal activities that pose a threat to public safety," said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Philadelphia acting Field Office Director Brian McShane. "This successful joint operation exemplifies the collaborative efforts of federal law enforcement agencies to enforce our nation's immigration laws and remove dangerous individuals from our streets."
In June 2019, the Drug Enforcement Administration arrested Basora-Gonzalez on charges related to fentanyl distribution in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. She pleaded guilty and received a sentence of over one year in confinement followed by four years of supervised release.
ICE deported Basora-Gonzalez back to the Dominican Republic in October 2020. Following her recent arrest, ICE issued her a notice of intent to reinstate her final order of removal on March 12. A federal arrest warrant was obtained, and she was handed over to the U.S. Marshals Service. Basora-Gonzalez will remain in custody pending charges for reentry after deportation.
For more information about ICE's mission regarding public safety in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia communities, visit their social media page @EROPhiladelphia.
