Man from Ecuador pleads guilty to, sentenced for illegal re-entry

BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Lucas Cela Saula, 39, a citizen and national of Ecuador, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to re-entry of a removed alien. He was then sentenced to time served and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.   

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, who is handling the case, stated that in November 2014, Cela Saula was physically removed from the United States. On September 7, 2025, he was found in Erie County, NY, and did not have any documents allowing him to be legally present in the United States.

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 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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