A Turkish citizen has pleaded guilty to the charge of illegal reentry into the United States and has been sentenced to 60 days of imprisonment followed by removal, as announced by Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Robert J. Colville to 60-year-old Izzet Kurt.
According to court information, Kurt had been previously convicted of conspiracy to smuggle aliens in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, which is classified as an aggravated felony. Following this conviction, he was deported on March 15, 2018, in accordance with an immigration judge's order. In 2022, Kurt allegedly paid $12,000 to be smuggled back into the U.S. via the Mexican border. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) received a tip about his return to the States and his residence in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, about three years after. Subsequent record checks revealed that Kurt did not have legal permission to reenter the country.
An investigation by HSI confirmed the tip, and Kurt was identified during surveillance on February 25, 2025, as a passenger in a vehicle in the Western District of Pennsylvania. Kurt has been in custody since his arrest and has agreed to be returned to immigration custody for removal from the United States as part of his plea deal.
Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Seibert represented the government in this case. Acting United States Attorney Rivetti praised Homeland Security Investigations for their role in successfully prosecuting Kurt.
This prosecution was a result of efforts by the Pennsylvania Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. This operation, initiated by President Trump's Executive Order 14159, involves joint efforts by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security to combat illegal immigration, dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime.
