Nikolas Kerest U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of Vermont
On May 9, 2025, two Cuban nationals, Adrian Santos-Miranda and Yanela Guerra-Matamoros, pleaded guilty to illegally entering the United States. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont reported that the pair entered the country at a location not designated by immigration authorities.
Court records indicate that on May 8, 2025, U.S. Border Patrol received an image of two individuals walking south from the Canadian border near Mud Creek, approximately two miles east of North Troy, Vermont. Border Patrol agents followed foot signs through woods and mud and located the defendants around 7:00 p.m. The individuals attempted to flee but were apprehended. Upon inspection, neither had documents permitting legal stay in the U.S., leading to their arrest. Further checks confirmed they were Cuban citizens without legal status in the country.
The defendants appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle on May 9, where they pleaded guilty and received a time-served sentence. They had faced potential imprisonment of up to six months.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher praised the investigatory work of U.S. Border Patrol in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Gilman is prosecuting the case. Legal representation for Santos-Miranda is provided by Mark D. Oettinger, Esq., while Jason J. Sawyer, Esq., represents Guerra-Matamoros.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at addressing illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
