United States Attorney David Metcalf announced the sentencing of two men for illegally reentering the United States after deportation. Yovany Basurto, a 33-year-old Mexican national, was sentenced to time served, equivalent to three months, by United States District Court Judge Joseph F. Leeson Jr. Basurto had been arrested in February for driving under the influence and subsequently detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He pleaded guilty to illegal reentry last month.
Basurto's history with U.S. immigration authorities includes an arrest by ICE in October 2018 for unauthorized presence in the country, leading to his removal in February 2019. He was apprehended again by U.S. Border Patrol in June 2019 after another illegal entry and removed from the U.S. a second time in July of that year. Following today's sentence, he will be removed once more.
Cristhian Vega-Guerra, a 34-year-old Ecuadorian national, received a similar sentence of time served, approximately three months, from United States District Court Judge Mitchell S. Goldberg. ICE arrested Vega-Guerra in January after suspecting his illegal residence in Lehigh County. He pleaded guilty last month to charges of illegal reentry.
Vega-Guerra was first encountered by U.S. Border Patrol near Eagle Pass, Texas, in March 2023 and deported that August. After serving his current sentence, he will also be removed from the country.
U.S. Attorney Metcalf stated: “Illegal immigration strains our public services, endangers our citizens, and insults the rule of law.” He warned that continued illegal entries would lead to further prosecutions and harsher penalties.
Brian McShane, ICE ERO Philadelphia Field Office Director, emphasized: “Yovany Basurto and Cristhian Vega-Guerra showed complete disregard for our nation’s immigration laws by repeatedly violating them and are therefore subject to removal.” He added that these sentences highlight the criminal nature of reentering the U.S. post-deportation.
The cases were investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Schopf and Rebecca Kulik.
