Eight defendants plead guilty to, sentenced for illegal re-entry

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that eight defendants pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to illegal re-entry. Each defendant was then sentenced to time served and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The eight defendants are:

• Mario Dario Cao-Tzul, 38, a native and citizen of Guatemala.
• Jorge Luis Gonzalez-Roman, 40, a native and citizen of Mexico.
• Jose Clemente Trujillo-Mejia, 42, a native and citizen of Mexico.
• Marciano Gonzalez-Avila, 33, a native and citizen of Guatemala.   
• Diego Ignacio Sohom-Tambriz, 40, a native and citizen of Guatemala.
• Douglas Noel Barahona-Martinez, 37, a native and citizen of El Salvador.
• Jose Mardoqueo Guevara-Pereira, 38, a native and citizen of El Salvador.
• Eleo Francisco Lemus-Moreno, 40, a native and citizen of Honduras.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan W. Fitzgerald, who handled the cases, stated that the defendants were previously physically removed from the United States, some on multiple occasions, and were later found in the Western District of New York.

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.

The pleas and sentencings are the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Acting Chief Patrol Agent James D’Amato.

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