An Israeli citizen, Elazar Wigdorowitz, 33, pleaded guilty to improper entry by an alien and was sentenced to time served in Buffalo federal court. The announcement came from U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo. After his sentencing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer, Wigdorowitz was transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
According to Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan W. Fitzgerald, the case began on January 8, 2026, when officers at the Rainbow Bridge Port of Entry conducted a secondary inspection of a vehicle and found multiple pieces of luggage in the backseat area. While removing the luggage, an officer discovered what appeared to be a person’s back; further removal revealed Wigdorowitz hiding among the bags.
Authorities later learned that Wigdorowitz had previously obtained a visa in 2010 but it was revoked in 2017 due to his criminal record in Israel. In 2023, he was again refused a visa because of prior convictions for conspiracy to commit a felony, assault, extortion, threats, false imprisonment, and malicious damage to a vehicle. He also faces pending charges including receipt of an item by deceit, conspiracy to defraud, forgery with intent, use of a forged document, fabricating evidence, and obstruction of justice.
On January 5, 2026—three days before being found at the border—Wigdorowitz attempted unsuccessfully to apply for Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). When questioned by officers about why he was hiding in the vehicle’s luggage compartment, he stated that he wanted “to visit his rabbi’s grave in the United States.”
“This case is part of Operation Take Back America,” according to the release from authorities. The initiative aims “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 involved Customs and Border Protection led by Director Rose Brophy as well as Homeland Security Investigations under Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan.
