Ancelma Contreras Pano, a 40-year-old citizen and national of Mexico, pleaded guilty to re-entry of a removed alien before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr., according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo. She was sentenced to two months in prison and will be transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement following her sentence.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith stated that Contreras Pano had no legal status in the United States. She was previously removed from the country in June 2015. On July 31, 2025, Border Patrol Agents located her in Erie County, New York, where she did not possess documentation permitting her legal presence.
“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,” said U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo.
The investigation leading to Contreras Pano’s plea and sentencing was conducted by U.S. Border Patrol under Patrol Agent-in-Charge David Banks.
