Four individuals have been charged with illegal re-entry into the United States, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo. The defendants—Eleo Francisco Lemus-Moreno, Douglas Noel Barahona-Martinez, Diego Ignacio Sohom Tambriz (also known as Hector Torres-Enriques), and Jose Mardoqueo Guevara-Pereira—face separate criminal complaints that carry a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sasha Mascarenhas is handling the cases. According to the complaints, law enforcement encountered Lemus-Moreno on December 4, 2025, in Williamsville, New York. He admitted to being in the country illegally and was taken into custody. Investigators determined he had previously been removed from the United States in May 2010 and March 2020.
Barahona-Martinez was found during a traffic stop on December 3, 2025, in Lancaster, New York. He acknowledged his illegal presence and lack of valid immigration documents before being detained. Authorities discovered he is a native of El Salvador who was deported in August 2014.
On the same day in Cheektowaga, New York, Sohom Tambriz admitted to being present without legal status when questioned by law enforcement. He was detained after officials confirmed he is from Guatemala and had been removed from the country twice—in May 2008 and June 2018.
Guevara-Pereira was stopped by police on December 2, 2025, in Amherst, New York. He stated that he lacked valid immigration documents and further investigation revealed he is a citizen of El Salvador who had been deported in July 2014.
All four defendants appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and were ordered detained pending further proceedings.
The case falls under Operation Take Back America—a national effort led by the Department of Justice aimed at addressing illegal immigration issues as well as targeting cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation under Acting Chief Patrol Agent James D’Amato’s direction.
“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,” according to authorities.
