U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced that Lorenzo Antonio Loja-Castro, a 23-year-old Ecuadorian citizen, has pleaded guilty to illegal re-entry in the United States. The plea was made before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo, who sentenced Loja-Castro to time served and ordered his transfer to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sasha Mascarenhas managed the case, revealing that Loja-Castro lacked legal status in the country. He was initially detained by United States Border Patrol agents near Middleport, NY, on May 7, 2024. Subsequently, he was deported from the United States on July 2, 2024. However, on March 26, 2025, Loja-Castro was found again in Erie County, New York. When questioned by Department of Homeland Security Agents about his immigration status, he confessed to being unlawfully present in the country without any valid immigration documents.
The proceedings against Loja-Castro are part of Operation Take Back America. This initiative is a nationwide effort by the Department of Justice aimed at addressing illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs). It also seeks to protect communities from violent crime perpetrators by utilizing resources from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The investigation leading to this plea and sentencing was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations under Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan's leadership.
