A 27-year-old man from Guyana, Andre Ali, was arrested and charged with escape from custody after an incident at the Rainbow Bridge Port of Entry in Niagara Falls, New York. The charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.
According to Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, Customs and Border Protection officers encountered Ali on September 1, 2025. He was driving a vehicle that made a wrong turn onto the bridge from the United States side and did not have any identity documents. During secondary inspection, authorities determined that Ali was unlawfully present in the country. Records show he entered the United States as a visitor in April 2018 with authorization to remain only until October 15, 2018.
Ali was placed in handcuffs and escorted to a secure room for administrative processing. After being informed he would be detained and see a judge, Ali climbed on top of a bench inside the secure room and entered the ceiling cavity less than a minute after an officer left. He subsequently fell through into an adjacent room and attempted to hide under a shelf before officers regained control.
“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,” according to U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo.
The investigation was conducted by Customs and Border Protection under Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy.
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.”
