Ecuadorian woman pleads guilty to, sentenced for illegal re-entry

BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Ana Castro Castro, 38, a citizen and national of Ecuador, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to re-entry of a removed alien. She was then sentenced to time served and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, who handled the case, stated that in July 2021, Castro was physically removed from the United States. On August 1, 2025, she was found in in Erie County, NY, by Border Patrol Agents and did not have any documents allowing her to be legally present in the United States.

The 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.

The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent-in-Charge David Banks.

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