Guatemalan National Charged with Illegal Reentry

BOSTON – A Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in New Bedford has been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.

Manuel Ruiz Luis, 52, was charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Ruiz Luis was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on March 31, 2025. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, Ruiz Luis has been detained.

According to the indictment, Ruiz Luis was first deported from the United States to Guatemala in April 1996 and allegedly reentered the United States illegally sometime thereafter. Ruiz Luis was removed from the United States a second time on March 28, 2012. It is alleged that sometime after his March 2012 removal, Ruiz Luis illegally reentered the United States without permission.

According to court documents, prior to his 2012 removal, Ruiz Luis had multiple criminal convictions including one charge of operating under the influence and four separate charges of operating a motor vehicle without a license.

The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra W. Amrhein of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.