An Ecuadorian national has pled guilty in the U.S. District Court in Portland, Maine, to the charge of illegally entering the United States after having been previously removed. The announcement came after the defendant, Juan Pablo Clabijo Tacuri, age 37, was apprehended by the Brunswick Police Department on January 27, 2025.
Court records indicate that Clabijo Tacuri was operating a vehicle without wearing a seatbelt when he was stopped by a police officer. Upon being asked to present his driver's license, Clabijo Tacuri showed a Massachusetts driver's license with a false name. Further investigation revealed that he had been removed from the United States four times before and lacked any visa or documentation permitting re-entry.
Now facing a maximum prison sentence of two years and a potential fine of up to $250,000, Clabijo Tacuri will be sentenced following the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. The sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge, taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other legal considerations.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection led the investigation, receiving support from the Brunswick Police Department in handling the case.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America, an initiative aimed at addressing illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and safeguarding communities from violent crimes. The operation collaborates with the Department of Justice's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
