An El Salvadoran man residing in Chelsea, Massachusetts, has been sentenced for unlawful reentry into the United States. Benancio Martinez-Diaz, 38, received a four-month prison sentence from U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin. Following his imprisonment, Martinez-Diaz will undergo three years of supervised release and is subject to deportation upon completing his sentence.
Martinez-Diaz pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry in October 2024 after being indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2024. His history includes five separate deportations between 2006 and 2014, with the most recent removal occurring around May 30, 2014.
On or about October 8, 2023, Martinez-Diaz was arrested on state charges leading to Immigration and Customs Enforcement being notified and a detainer lodged against him.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Chelsea Police Chief Keith Houghton. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit.