U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced that Lorenzo Antonio Loja-Castro, a 23-year-old citizen of Ecuador, has pleaded guilty to illegal re-entry into the United States. Following his plea before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo, Loja-Castro was sentenced to time served and transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sasha Mascarenhas, who managed the case, explained that Loja-Castro had no legal status in the country. He was initially arrested on May 7, 2024, by United States Border Patrol agents near Middleport, NY, and subsequently removed from the U.S. on July 2, 2024. However, he was found again in Erie County, New York on March 26, 2025. Upon questioning by Department of Homeland Security Agents about his immigration status, Loja-Castro admitted he was in the U.S. illegally without any immigration documents.
This case is part of “Operation Take Back America,” a nationwide initiative led by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs). The operation seeks to protect communities from violent crime through coordinated efforts involving the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The investigation leading to Loja-Castro’s plea and sentencing was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations under Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan.
