Ancelma Contreras Pano, a 40-year-old citizen and national of Mexico, pleaded guilty to re-entry of a removed alien in Buffalo, New York. U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. sentenced her to two months in prison. After serving her sentence, Contreras Pano will be turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith stated that Contreras Pano did not have legal status in the United States and was previously removed from the country in June 2015. She was found by Border Patrol Agents in Erie County, New York on July 31, 2025, without documentation permitting her presence in the United States.
"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," according to the statement.
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Border Patrol under Patrol Agent-in-Charge David Banks.
