A Spanish citizen has pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor, Maine, to the charge of reentering the United States after being previously removed from the country.
Court records show that Jose Angel Hidalgo-Torres, 20, was discovered in Calais on July 18, 2025, shortly after he had entered the United States illegally. Authorities had previously removed him from the country in May 2024.
Hidalgo-Torres could face a prison sentence of up to two years and a fine as high as $250,000. Sentencing will take place following a presentence investigative report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge who will consider both the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, which is described as "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." According to officials, "Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN)."
