Guatemalan man pleads guilty, sentenced for illegal re-entry

BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Sebastian Tzib Putul, 32, a citizen and national of Guatemala, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to re-entry of a removed alien and was sentenced to time served. He was then turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, who handled the case, stated that in January 2024, Putul was ordered removed from the United States. On June 9, 2025, he was found in Erie County, NY, by Border Patrol Agents. He did not have any documents allowing him to be legally present in the United States.

The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent in Charge Martin B. Coombs.

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