A Guatemalan man was sentenced on May 8 in U.S. District Court in Bangor for illegally reentering the United States after a previous removal.
Elmer Enrique Ramirez-Ardon, 33, received a sentence of time served from U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neuman after pleading guilty on April 16, 2026.
Court records show that on March 12, 2026, U.S. Border Patrol Agents in Franklin County observed a white box truck traveling north toward the U.S.-Canadian border near Stratton. Ramirez-Ardon was seated as a passenger in the vehicle. After noticing suspicious behavior by the truck and its occupants, agents stopped the vehicle when it turned south toward the interior of Maine. During an immigration inspection at the roadside, agents determined that both occupants were present without lawful authority and transported them to Rangeley Border Patrol Station for processing. There, officials found that Ramirez-Ardon had been ordered deported and removed from the country in 2014.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, described as "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 office overseeing this case is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes, handling civil matters involving government interests such as collecting federal debts owed to taxpayers, building alliances with law enforcement at all levels throughout Maine—including Portland and Bangor—and serving as chief federal law enforcement officer for Maine residents according to its official website.
