An Ecuadorian citizen, Vanessa Yalixa Munoz-Baque, pled guilty on Mar. 26 to illegally re-entering the United States after previously being removed in August 2023. The plea was announced by Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, along with Acting Field Office Director Vernon Liggins of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Baltimore Field Office.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address unlawful re-entry into the country following deportation orders. Munoz-Baque had returned to Frederick, Maryland on November 3, 2023, without legal authorization and was discovered by law enforcement after her arrest for attempted murder.
According to court documents and statements made during the plea hearing, local police apprehended Munoz-Baque on September 11, 2024 in Frederick and charged her with attempted murder and assault following an incident where she placed a knife at a victim’s neck and stabbed him in the leg. She later pled guilty to first-degree assault in March 2025 and received a sentence of 25 years imprisonment with all but three years suspended.
Munoz-Baque was originally deported after being apprehended at Eagle Pass, Texas on June 17, 2023 for attempting to enter the country without inspection. An immigration judge ordered her removal back to Ecuador through expedited proceedings; she did not seek or receive permission from either the Attorney General or Secretary of Homeland Security before returning.
Sentencing for Munoz-Baque is scheduled for June 25 at 2:30 p.m., where she faces up to two years in federal prison for illegal re-entry charges.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended ICE-ERO officials involved in the investigation as well as First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason D. Medinger and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Shea who are prosecuting this case.
