Brazilian National Sentenced to Seven Months Imprisonment for Illegal Re-Entry

St. Thomas, VI – Acting United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced that Joice Iara Costa De Souza, a 28-year-old woman from Brazil, was sentenced on Thursday, May 29, 2025, by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Robert A. Molloy, to seven months imprisonment for illegally reentering the country after she had been deported.
According to court records, De Souza was previously deported from the United States on November 22, 2019, after pleading guilty to illegally entering the United States. On March 12, 2020, De Souza was arrested at the Urman Victor Fredericks Marine Terminal in Red Hook, St. Thomas. De Souza admitted that she did not have proper documentation to enter or remain in the United States.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection Marine Interdiction Agents (CBP-MIA). Assistant United States Attorney Denise George prosecuted the case.