Man from El Salvador charged with making false statement

BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Oscar David Contreras Guzman, 49, a citizen of El Salvador, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with making a false statement, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sasha Mascarenhas, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in the early morning hours of May 17, 2025, Guzman was driving a commercial truck bearing Maryland license plates at the Lewiston Bridge Port of Entry. When asked for identification during primary inspection, Guzman presented a Maryland State Driver’s License. He also claimed to be a citizen of Mexico and indicated that he had been refused entry into Canada, after making a wrong turn onto the Lewiston Bridge, on his way to Michigan. Guzman was referred to secondary to determine his immigration status in the United States. During secondary inspection, Guzman again stated that he was a citizen of Mexico and had in his possession a Mexican Consular ID card. A fingerprint check determined that he was in fact Oscar David Contreras Guzman, a citizen of El Salvador, and was previously removed from the United States in April 2007.

This investigation 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 complaint is the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy.

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.   

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