Mexican man pleads guilty to, sentenced for illegal re-entry

BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Giovanni Bernal Guerrero, 39, a citizen and national of Mexican, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to re-entry of a removed alien. He was sentenced to time served and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, who handled the case, stated in September 2017, Guerrero was physically removed from the United States to Mexico. On July 19, 2025, he defendant was found in Erie County, NY, by United States Customs and Border Protection officers 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 Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy. 

# # # #