A Guatemalan national, Geremias Josue Sanchez-Velasquez, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Bangor for illegally reentering the United States after removal. Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Sanchez-Velasquez, 31, to time served, which amounted to 110 days. He had pleaded guilty on June 11, 2025.
Court records show that on April 23, 2025, a U.S. Border Patrol Agent encountered Sanchez-Velasquez in Palmyra, Maine. During the encounter, Sanchez-Velasquez admitted he was not a U.S. citizen and did not have authorization to be in the country. Further checks revealed he had previously been convicted of illegal entry and was removed from the United States in 2019.
Following his sentencing, Sanchez-Velasquez was handed over to immigration authorities.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America. According to the press release: "This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN)."
