Acting United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper has announced the sentencing of Joice Iara Costa De Souza, a 28-year-old Brazilian national, to seven months in prison. The sentence was handed down by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Robert A. Molloy on May 29, 2025, for illegal re-entry into the United States after deportation.
Court records indicate that De Souza was previously deported from the United States on November 22, 2019, following a guilty plea for illegal entry. She was arrested again on March 12, 2020, at the Urman Victor Fredericks Marine Terminal in Red Hook, St. Thomas. During her arrest, De Souza admitted to lacking proper documentation to enter or remain in the country.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection Marine Interdiction Agents (CBP-MIA). Assistant United States Attorney Denise George led the prosecution.
