San Juan, Puerto Rico - Two undocumented aliens, citizens of the Dominican Republic, appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marcos Lopez, accused of violations of federal immigration law.
The defendants, Junior Manzanilla-Peralta, aka Julio Gómez Guzmán, and Joamy Jean Carlos-Justo, were arrested in separate incidents by Border Patrol Agents and Field Officers, both part of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Manzanilla-Peralta is accused of violation of Title 8, United States Code; Section 1326, which proscribes the reentry of a previously removed alien, after being removed subsequent to a conviction for commission of an aggravated felony. The statute requires that the defendant had to formally request permission to reenter.
Justo is accused of violation of Title 8, United States Code; Section 1325, proscribing entering at any time or place other than as designated by immigration officers.
Last Thursday, Manzanillo-Castillo was approached by CBP Field Officers, during pre-flight inspection, before boarding a Jet Blue Airlines flight departing the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport bound for New York.
Manzanillo-Peralta claimed to be a United States citizen by the name of Angel M. Acevedo Rivera, and presented as proof a Puerto Rico driver's license and a Social Security card.
CBP Officers referred Manzanillo-Peralta for a secondary inspection as the documents appeared to be altered.
His fingerprints where queried through an Immigration Data Base system to verify his identity and any prior records, revealing an identical match to a previously removed alien under the name Julio Gomez-Guzman. The defendant alleged that his name was Junior Manzanilla-Peralta.
The defendant was convicted Dec. 20, 2001, upon a plea of guilty, at the New York County Supreme Court of the State Of New York for the offense of criminal sale of controlled substance in the third degree, in violation of public law 220.39, and sentenced to five years probation.
On Nov. 17, 2004 the defendant was convicted upon plea of guilty at the New York County Supreme Court of the State Of New York for the offense of criminal sale of controlled substance in the second degree, in violation of public law 220.41, and sentenced to six years.
The defendant was ordered removed by the immigration judge at the immigration court in Fishkill, N.Y., under section 240 on Feb. 17, 2005 and was physically removed to the Dominican Republic on April 19, 2006.
Manzanillo-Peralta admitted that that he re-entered the United States on or about Nov. 8, 2008, on board a makeshift vessel or "yola" near Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.
Joamy Jean Carlos Justo was detained Nov. 26, by San Juan Municipal Police for a traffic violation.
Ramey Station Border Patrol Agents responded to the request for assistance by San Juan Police, where the agents interviewed the defendant.
The defendant admitted that he had entered the island on board a makeshift vessel or "yola", Nov. 27, 2007 near Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.
The use of fraudulent documents and of multiple aliases is the modus operandi used by criminals to achieve mobility and elude detection by law enforcement.
For law enforcement it is critical to detect and identify individuals who attempt to deceive authorities with the use of fraudulent documents and who in most instances impersonating another individual or stealing someone's identity to move freely throughout the international transportation system.
"Every day, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and Border Agents are vigilant seeking individuals who are illegally in the United States to be processed according to immigration laws" stated Marcelino Borges, director of field operations for CBP in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
"Through a harmonized multi-agency effort that works from force laydown, through apprehension and consequence application we have been successful in effecting deterrence in our shared areas of interest," indicated Michael DeBruhl, chief patrol agent of the CBP's Border Patrol in Puerto Rico and the USVI.
Assistant United States Attorney Evelyn Canals and Special Assistant U.S Attorney Russell E. Booker III are in charge of the prosecution of these cases.
If convicted, Manzanilla-Peralta faces a fine or a sentence of not more than 20 years or both.
If convicted, Justo faces a fine or a sentence of not more than six months or both.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.