Several individuals unlawfully present in the United States were sentenced after pleading guilty to various offenses, according to an April 30 announcement by Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland. The cases are part of Operation Take Back America and include a Portugal citizen who admitted to destroying government property.
The prosecutions underscore ongoing federal efforts against illegal immigration and related crimes. Operation Take Back America is described as a nationwide initiative aimed at addressing illegal immigration and associated criminal activity.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Austin sentenced Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins, a 30-year-old Portugal citizen and national, to time served—103 days—for ramming government vehicles with his van while attempting to escape immigration officers. Sousa-Martins was also ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution.
Other sentences handed down by U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Sullivan included Sergio Gonzalez-Suchite, a Guatemalan citizen found in Trappe; Nelson Mejia-Amaya, a Honduran citizen found in Prince George’s County; and Esner Gudiel Garcia-Ortiz, another Guatemalan national encountered in Ocean City—all receiving time served after pleading guilty to illegally entering the country. Additionally, Nery Adelso Asmen-Raymundo faces charges of illegal re-entry following two previous deportations; authorities located him in Baltimore.
Hayes said: “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.”
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland counts alumni among prominent government and judicial leadership roles according to its official website. The office enhances quality of life for residents through effective justice administration according to its official website, serves nearly six million people across Maryland according to its official website, employs over 200 personnel across civil, criminal and administrative divisions according to its official website, prosecutes federal crimes while handling civil cases for the U.S., collects government debts according to its official website, partners with law enforcement agencies on public safety issues since its origins under an act from 1789 according to its official website, and is part of the Department of Justice according to its official website.
Hayes commended Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE-ERO) Baltimore Field Office as well as FBI Baltimore Field Office for their work on these investigations.
