Four men have been arrested and charged with illegal re-entry into the United States, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo in Buffalo, New York. Two of the defendants face charges of illegal re-entry, which could result in up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The other two men are charged with unlawful re-entry after previous convictions, carrying potential penalties of up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The individuals named in the complaints are Mario Dario Cao-Tzul, also known as Mario Hernandez-Lopez, 38, originally from Guatemala; Miguel Ibarra-Saavedra, 43, a citizen of Mexico; Pedri Servin Grimaldo, 53; and Luis Alberto Servin Sanchez, 47—both natives of Mexico.
Law enforcement encountered Cao-Tzul during a traffic stop on November 6 in Amherst, New York. He was found without valid immigration documents and records showed he had previously been removed from the country three times—in August 2010, April 2013, and May 2019.
Ibarra-Saavedra was stopped by law enforcement on November 3 in West Seneca while riding in a vehicle. He admitted lacking legal status or immigration documents. Authorities determined he had been removed from the United States twice before: January and February of 2008.
Servin Grimaldo and Servin Sanchez were both encountered during a traffic stop near a construction site in West Seneca on November 3. Neither man possessed valid immigration documents. Records indicated that Servin Grimaldo had felony convictions from Florida (August 1995 and February 1999) and was removed from the U.S. in October 2001. Servin Sanchez was convicted of a felony in North Carolina (September 2001), removed from the U.S. later that year, found unlawfully present again in August 2004 (removed September 2004), and again found unlawfully present in October 2008 (removed December 2009).
All four defendants appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and are currently detained.
“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,” stated U.S. Attorney DiGiacomo.
The investigation leading to these charges was conducted by U.S. Border Patrol Buffalo Station under Patrol Agent-in-Charge David Banks. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan W. Fitzgerald is prosecuting the case.
Officials emphasized that “the fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.”
