An Ecuadorian national has pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland, Maine, for illegally entering the United States following a previous removal. The guilty plea was entered as part of legal proceedings undertaken by authorities. According to court records, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) agents, with help from the FBI, conducted surveillance on February 4, 2025. They tracked William Ariel Tamay Guaman, 23, and stopped the vehicle he was in. Initially, Tamay Guaman provided a false name but was identified through fingerprints after being taken into custody.
Tamay Guaman's entry into the U.S. preceded 2019. He was charged in March 2023 with reckless conduct involving a minor for offenses occurring between 2020 and 2021. He received a 364-day imprisonment sentence, with an additional suspended 364 days followed by probation. In a separate ruling, an immigration judge ordered his removal, and he was deported in September 2023.
He now faces a maximum of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing will occur after the U.S. Probation Office completes a presentence investigative report. The federal district court judge will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors in determining the sentence.
The case investigation was conducted by ICE-ERO and supported by the FBI.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative led by the Department of Justice aiming to combat illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations. The effort integrates resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
