Two Honduran nationals, Arlen Saul Castillo, 29, and Jonathan Esteban Osario Lopez, 32, were arrested in Buffalo and charged with illegal reentry into the United States. The charges carry a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, the arrests stem from an October 8 traffic stop by a Lancaster police officer on Central Avenue. During the stop, neither man had a license or identification. Both admitted to being illegally present in the United States without valid immigration documents. Investigators later determined that Castillo was removed from the U.S. in December 2011, while Osario Lopez was removed twice in August and December of 2013.
U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo stated that these cases are 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."
Both defendants made their initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr., where they were detained pending further proceedings.
"The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty," authorities noted.
