Ecuadorian National Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the US After Prior Removals

BANGOR, Maine: An Ecuadorian national was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for entering the United States after prior removals.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced William Leonardo Dutan Gagui, 33, to time served. Dutan Gagui had been incarcerated since September 14, 2025.

According to court records, in September 2025, Dutan Gagui was a passenger in a speeding van operated by an illegal alien. Border Patrol agents stopped the vehicle. When asked, Dutan Gagui admitted he was a citizen of Ecuador and that he did not have any documentation to be in the U.S. legally. A review of immigration records confirmed Dutan Gagui had been removed from the country in November 2011 and again in August 2016, both times at New Orleans, Louisiana.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigated the case.

Operation Take Back America: This case is 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.

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