Hector Gabriel Magana Jeronimo, a 44-year-old citizen of El Salvador, has pleaded guilty to illegally re-entering the United States after being removed as an aggravated felon. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Steve Kurzdorfer, Buffalo Field Office Director for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO).
Authorities reported that Magana Jeronimo was previously deported from the U.S. in 2010 following multiple convictions in California for possession of a firearm by a felon. He was discovered to have returned unlawfully when police in Lloyd Town, Ulster County, New York, arrested him on December 15, 2024, for driving while intoxicated.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated, “Magana Jeronimo is an illegal alien and felon, with a history of illegal gun possession, who has again been apprehended thanks to the work of the Lloyd Police and ICE. We cannot do this job alone and need the help of local law enforcement to remove these dangerous criminals who illegally entered our country and are being coddled by some elected officials who care more about their political agenda than the public they took an oath to defend.”
ICE-ERO Field Office Director Steve Kurzdorfer said, “Jeronimo’s plea serves as a reminder that it is a federal crime to illegally reenter the United States after being ordered removed and deported. This flagrant disregard for our nation’s immigration law cannot go unpunished. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Buffalo commends our law enforcement partners in New York who do the right thing by turning illegal criminal aliens over to ICE for removal processing.”
Magana Jeronimo is scheduled to be sentenced on December 16, 2025. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000. Sentencing will be determined by a judge considering federal statutes, sentencing guidelines, and other relevant factors.
The case was investigated by ICE-ERO and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Collyer.
