Guatemalan Man Arrested At Rainbow Bridge

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX:            (716) 551-3051 

BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that Abraham Horlando Ramirez-Ramirez, 32, of Guatemala, was arrested and charged by complaint for re-entering the United States after being deported. The charges carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott S. Allen, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on June 25, 2016, at approximately 10:50 a.m., the defendant was riding in a vehicle along with three others. The vehicle accidentally made a wrong turn, and entered a lane bound for Canada at the Rainbow Bridge Port of Entry. After being refused entry into Canada, the vehicle approached the Rainbow Bridge Port of Entry in Niagara Falls, NY.

During a primary inspection, Customs and Border Protection officers determined that Ramirez has been living unlawfully in Maryland for several years. This is the third time the defendant was found to be unlawfully in the United States, having been previously deported in 2009 and 2011.

The defendant made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and is being held. 

The complaint is the culmination of an investigation by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Acting Director of Field Operations Rose Hilmey.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.