Sri Lankan man pleads guilty to, sentenced for illegal entry

BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Dilaxan Muraleetharan, 26, a citizen and national of Sri Lanka, pleaded guilty to illegal entry before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. He was then sentenced to time served and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sasha Mascarenhas, who handled the case, stated that on October 14, 2025, Muraleetharan was observed on the train tracks on top of the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge, located in Niagara Falls, NY, which crosses the Canada and United States border. This is not a legal entryway for pedestrians or vehicle traffic. Border Patrol agents responded to the area and approached Muraleetharan who did not have any valid documents that would allow him to enter or remain in the United States legally. He was placed under arrest. Muraleetharan was previously ordered removed from the United States in September 2024.

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, Niagara Falls Station, under the direction of Patrol Agent-in-Charge Brady Waikal.

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