border in northeastern New York
FORT COVINGTON, N.Y. – U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Burke Border Patrol Station apprehended two illegal aliens from Italy, and a Spanish smuggler, on Friday, April 19.
“These agents, and the citizens that helped them, prevented two previously deported criminal aliens from successfully entering the United States and their efforts should be commended,” said Swanton Sector Division Chief Todd Jewell. “The sector cannot accomplish its border security mission without the help of the citizens that live and work in the immediate border area.”
On Friday morning, the Tactical Communications Center (TCC) of the Swanton Border Patrol Sector notified Border Patrol agents of an illegal border crossing near Fort Covington. Soon after, a concerned citizen called the station to report that two men had approached him and asked for a ride to New York City. While agents searched for the two men, a local business owner called and reported suspicious activity.
When agents arrived at the business, they observed a man meeting the caller’s description but he fled when approached by agents. An agent pursued the fleeing man. Around the same time, a gray Toyota parked at the business and then drove slowly in the direction where the man fled.
Meanwhile, other agents were searching for a man reported to be walking west on State Route 37. An agent quickly found this man walking along the side of the road, and interviewed him regarding his immigration status in the United States. This man, Nick Clemenza-Ferriera, admitted that he is an Italian citizen and that he didn’t have any immigration documents allowing him to legally enter or remain in the United States. The agent arrested Clemenza-Ferriera, and continued to help search for the other man who had fled.
Agents later performed a vehicle stop on the gray Toyota. The vehicle contained two men—the man who fled and the Toyota’s driver. Border Patrol agents identified the man who fled as Andre Camarra, a citizen of Italy, who admitted that he did not have any immigration documents that would allow him to legally enter or remain in the United States. Record checks revealed the driver of the vehicle to be George Mecedo-Gonzaelz, citizen of Spain. Agents arrested both men in the Toyota and transported all three suspects involved in this event to the Burke Border Patrol Station for record checks and processing.
At the station, record checks revealed that Clemenza-Ferriera had been previously removed from the United States on 9/21/18, after remaining in the United States after his non-immigrant visa has expired. Record checks also revealed a misdemeanor larceny arrest and conviction in Florida. The US Attorney for the Northern District of New York is charging him with Re-Entry After Removal, a felony under 8 USC 1326.
Record checks revealed that Andre Camarra was removed from the United States on 9/26/18 for remaining in the United States after his non-immigrant visa had expired. Checks also revealed a felony arrest in Florida in May of 2018 for Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon without Intent to Kill on 6/7/18. Camarra is also being charged with Re-Entry After Removal.
The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York is charging the Spanish citizen driver of the Toyota, George De Macedo-Gonzales, with Alien Smuggling, a felony under 8 USC 1324.
All suspects are considered innocent unless or until proven guilty in court.
The Swanton Sector is responsible for securing the land border between ports of entry in Vermont, New Hampshire and northeastern New York.
The assistance of citizens is invaluable to the Border Patrol's border security mission and we welcome community members' help to keep our nation’s borders safe. Please report suspicious activity at 1-800-689-3362.
For more on Customs and Border Protection’s mission at our nation’s ports of entry with CBP officers and along U.S. borders with Border Patrol agents, please visit the Border Security section of the CBP website.