Dominican national indicted for illegal reentry after prior convictions

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Dominican national indicted for illegal reentry after prior convictions

Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice

A Dominican national living in Worcester has been indicted on charges of illegally reentering the United States after being deported. Jose Luis Urena-Vasquez, 48, faces one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.

Court records show that Urena-Vasquez was first encountered by immigration officials in 2008 while serving an 11-month sentence for drug distribution at the Essex County House of Corrections. After completing his sentence, he was placed into removal proceedings and deported to the Dominican Republic on March 25, 2009.

After his removal, authorities allege that Urena-Vasquez returned to the United States without permission. In 2018, he faced charges in Lawrence District Court for armed assault to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and possession of a firearm. He left Massachusetts but was arrested in Florida later that year and brought back to face trial. In October 2018, a federal grand jury indicted him for unlawful reentry; he pleaded guilty in May 2019 and received an eight-month prison sentence in April 2020. That sentence was ordered to be served consecutively with pending charges in Essex Superior Court, along with three years of supervised release.

According to the new indictment filed today, Urena-Vasquez was removed from the United States again in February 2024. Authorities allege that sometime after this removal he unlawfully reentered the country.

If convicted on the current charge—unlawful reentry following a conviction for an aggravated felony—Urena-Vasquez could face up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine up to $250,000. He would also be subject to deportation after serving any imposed sentence. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge based on federal guidelines and statutes.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director for Enforcement and Removal Operations at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Boston office announced the indictment. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea is prosecuting the case.

"The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law."