A Honduran national has been sentenced in U.S. District Court in Bangor, Maine, for illegally re-entering the United States after a prior removal. Jose Luis Matute-Duarte, 35, received a sentence of time served, which amounted to approximately 70 days. Following the sentencing, he was taken into custody for immigration proceedings and faces likely deportation.
Court records indicate that on March 10, 2025, Matute-Duarte was approached by a U.S. Border Patrol Agent outside a convenience store in Brownville. Initially claiming to be from New Jersey and presenting a New Jersey driver’s license, Matute-Duarte eventually admitted to being in the country illegally when questioned further by the agent. Immigration records revealed that he had previously been arrested for illegal entry into the U.S. in Texas in 2015 and subsequently removed from the country.
The case was investigated by U.S. Border Patrol as part of Operation Take Back America. This initiative is aimed at addressing illegal immigration and combating cartels and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators. The operation coordinates efforts with the Department of Justice's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
