(WNY News Now) – BUFFALO, N.Y. — Federal prosecutors announced that four men have been arrested and charged in separate criminal complaints with illegal re-entry into the United States after prior removals.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York said U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced the charges, which each carry a maximum penalty of up to two years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The defendants named in the complaints are Eleo Francisco Lemus-Moreno, 40, a native and citizen of Honduras; Douglas Noel Barahona-Martinez, 37, a native and citizen of El Salvador; Diego Ignacio Sohom Tambriz, also known as Hector Torres-Enriques, 40, a native and citizen of Guatemala; and Jose Mardoqueo Guevara-Pereira, 38, a native and citizen of El Salvador.
According to court documents, Lemus-Moreno was encountered by law enforcement on December 4, 2025, in Williamsville, New York. Authorities said he admitted to being in the United States without valid immigration status and was taken into custody. Investigators later determined he had previously been removed from the United States in May 2010 and March 2020.
On December 3, 2025, Barahona-Martinez was encountered during a traffic stop in Lancaster, New York. He allegedly admitted to being illegally present in the country without valid immigration documents. A subsequent investigation determined he had been removed from the United States in August 2014.
That same day, law enforcement encountered Sohom Tambriz in Cheektowaga, New York. Authorities said he admitted to being in the United States illegally and was taken into custody. Investigators determined he had previously been removed in May 2008 and June 2018.
On December 2, 2025, Guevara-Pereira was encountered during a traffic stop in Amherst, New York. According to the complaint, he admitted to being illegally present in the United States and was later found to have been removed in July 2014.
All four defendants made initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and were ordered detained.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative focused on immigration enforcement and combating transnational criminal organizations. The investigations were conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol under the direction of Acting Chief Patrol Agent James D’Amato.
As with all criminal matters, the charges are allegations only, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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