Persistent Violator: Alien Admits Third Illegal Entry into America

UTICA, NEW YORK – Reginaldo Nunes Dos Santos, 49, of Brazil, pled guilty Tuesday, July 28, to one count of illegal reentry into the United States.  First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and James P. D’Amato, Acting Chief Patrol Agent, U.S. Border Patrol Buffalo Sector made the announcement.

Dos Santos had been arrested two previous times for entering the United States illegally.  Most recently, he was arrested in Texas in 2019 and was subsequently deported in 2020.  

On June 11, 2026, Dos Santos was arrested after a traffic stop near Watertown, New York.

First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated, “The United States is a nation of opportunity, and we welcome those who follow our laws and pursue legal pathways to build a life here. This defendant chose a very different path, illegally entering our country three separate times. After being arrested and deported under the first Trump Administration, he later used the prior administration’s immigration failures to return, placing the financial burden of his unlawful behavior on hardworking taxpayers. Now, under the current Trump Administration, he has once again been arrested for violating our immigration laws. His repeated disregard for U.S. law has resulted in a federal prison sentence, after which he will be deported. Let this be a clear reminder: those who continually violate our nation’s immigration laws will face American justice and be subject to deportation.”

“Through intelligence-driven targeting and coordinated enforcement efforts, agents from the Wellesley Island Station arrested a repeat immigration law violator in Watertown, NY. The agents of the U.S. Border Patrol will continue to remain vigilant, alert, and always ready to protect our borders and secure our homeland,” said James P. D’Amato, Acting Chief Patrol Agent, U.S. Border Patrol Buffalo Sector.

United States District Judge Anthony J. Brindisi sentenced Dos Santos to two months’ imprisonment.  Following his sentence, Dos Santos is subject to deportation.

United States Border Patrol investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Whalen prosecuted the case.