A man from El Salvador, Miguel Angel Ruiz Guevara, 53, has been arrested and charged in Buffalo, New York, with illegal reentry into the United States after having previously been removed following a felony conviction. The charges could result in up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith stated that investigators encountered Ruiz Guevara on August 29th at a hotel in Bowmansville, New York. When questioned about his citizenship status, Ruiz Guevara presented an El Salvadorian passport but did not have documentation allowing him to lawfully remain in the United States. Authorities found that he had been ordered removed from the country three times: in 1992, 2005, and 2011. In September 2004, he was convicted of DUI for the third time, which is classified as a felony.
Ruiz Guevara appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was detained pending further proceedings.
"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."
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Border Patrol under Patrol Agent-in-Charge David Banks.
U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo emphasized that charges are accusations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
