Nikolas Kerest U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of Vermont
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont has announced the indictment of Benjamin Gutierrez-Morales, a 28-year-old from Sonora, Mexico. The indictment was returned on April 17, 2025, for charges related to illegally bringing aliens into the United States.
Benjamin Gutierrez-Morales's arraignment is scheduled for April 21, 2025, at 1:00 PM in Burlington, Vermont.
Court records indicate that Gutierrez-Morales is alleged to have met two aliens on April 5, 2025, north of the United States-Canada international border. He reportedly led them on foot into the United States, where all three were apprehended near Lost Nation Road in Berkshire, Vermont. The two aliens have pleaded guilty to illegal entry as of April 7, 2025.
It is important to note, according to the United States Attorney’s Office, that the indictment contains allegations only, and Gutierrez-Morales is presumed innocent until proven guilty. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years of imprisonment, though the actual sentence will be determined by the District Court with advisory input from the United States Sentencing Guidelines and statutory sentencing factors.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher has praised the investigatory efforts by the United States Border Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua L. Banker is the prosecutor on this case, while Assistant Federal Public Defender Emily Kenyon represents Gutierrez-Morales.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative aiming to eliminate illegal immigration and dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations while safeguarding communities from violent crime. The operation aligns efforts and resources from various task forces, including the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
