SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers found Friday a previously deported Brazilian woman prior to boarding a flight at the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport bound to JFK in New York.
On Sep. 13, during inspections authorized by federal law, Matilde Rocha-De Oliveira claimed to be a citizen of the United States, born in Puerto Rico and presented what appeared to be a counterfeit Puerto Rico Driver’s license to CBP Officers.
However, further investigation conducted by CBP Officers revealed that Ms. Rocha-De Oliveira was removed to Brazil on August 04, 2003.
“CBP officers are regularly trained to detect fraudulent documents used by bad actors to elude detection,” indicated Edwin Cruz, CBP’s San Juan Area Port Director.
Ms. Rocha-De Oliveira was arrested Sep. 13, and brought before U.S. Magistrate Judge Camille Velez -Rivé for an initial appearance, for violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a)(1), for reentry after a prior removal.
Special Assistant US Attorney Christina Caraballo in charge of the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Puerto Rico.
If convicted, Ms. Rocha-De Oliveira faces imprisonment for not more than 2 years, or a fine, or both.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.
CBP’s mission is to facilitate travel while maintaining the highest standards of security for those who live here and for those who come to visit. On a typical day last year, CBP officers processed more than 1 million travelers arriving airports, seaports or border crossings.
