Eight individuals have pleaded guilty to illegal re-entry into the United States and were sentenced to time served before being handed over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo. The pleas took place before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford in Buffalo, New York.
The defendants include Mario Dario Cao-Tzul, 38, from Guatemala; Jorge Luis Gonzalez-Roman, 40, from Mexico; Jose Clemente Trujillo-Mejia, 42, from Mexico; Marciano Gonzalez-Avila, 33, from Guatemala; Diego Ignacio Sohom-Tambriz, 40, from Guatemala; Douglas Noel Barahona-Martinez, 37, from El Salvador; Jose Mardoqueo Guevara-Pereira, 38, from El Salvador; and Eleo Francisco Lemus-Moreno, 40, from Honduras.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan W. Fitzgerald said that all eight had been previously removed from the United States—some on multiple occasions—and were later located within the Western District of New York.
"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 a statement included in the announcement.
The investigation leading to these charges was conducted by Customs and Border Protection U.S. Border Patrol under Acting Chief Patrol Agent James D’Amato.
