DOMINICAN NATIONAL SENTENCED TO EIGHT MONTHS FOR UNLAWFULLY REENTERING THE UNITED STATES

St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Kelvin Bautista Valdez, 35, of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced to eight months of imprisonment by Chief District Judge Robert A. Molloy, on his conviction of Illegal Reentry into the United States of a Removed Alien.

According to court documents, on November 30, 2022, while conducting training operations in Brewers Bay, Customs and Border Patrol Officers observed a vessel that they recognized from a previous smuggling operation involving undocumented migrants. Officers later discovered Valdez among a group of undocumented migrants gathered at the shoreline awaiting transport to Puerto Rico. A record check revealed that Valdez had previously entered the United States and was removed on two prior occasions. When interviewed, Valdez stated that he paid smugglers $26,000.00 cash for his transport to the United States.

The case was investigated by United States Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kyle Payne and Natasha L. Baker.