Authorities say the man had been deported four times prior to his latest arrest.
(WNY News Now) – BUFFALO, N.Y. — A Mexican citizen previously deported multiple times was arrested in Clarence, New York, and charged with illegal re-entry into the United States, federal prosecutors announced.
Jose Antonio Barcena-Ruiz, 41, was taken into custody on May 31, 2025, after Homeland Security Investigations and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents encountered him and three other individuals during a vehicle stop. Officials say Barcena-Ruiz admitted he was a Mexican national and produced a Mexican passport and a New Mexico driver’s license, but lacked documentation authorizing legal presence in the U.S.
A records check revealed Barcena-Ruiz had been removed from the country in 2008, twice in 2009, and again in 2010.
Barcena-Ruiz appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy in Buffalo on June 24 and was ordered detained pending further proceedings.
He is charged with illegal re-entry, a federal offense that carries a maximum sentence of up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine, if convicted.
The investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a national initiative aimed at addressing illegal immigration and transnational criminal activity.
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith. The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations and ICE.
As with all criminal cases, the charge is merely an accusation. Barcena-Ruiz is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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