A citizen of El Salvador, previously convicted of double homicide and sentenced to 50 years in prison in his home country, has been charged with illegally reentering the United States. Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced the charges against César Eliseo Sorto-Amaya, 28, who appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte in Newark federal court.
Documents related to the case reveal that since 2015, Sorto-Amaya has been deported from and returned illegally to the United States three times. One instance involved his deportation following a conviction for weapons possession charges in Elizabeth, New Jersey. In April 2024, he was convicted in absentia in El Salvador for double aggravated homicide and received a 50-year prison sentence.
Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited several agencies for their roles in the investigation: special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation under Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly; U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark under Special Agent in Charge Ricky Patel; Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations under Field Office Director John Tsoukaris; and law enforcement authorities in El Salvador.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Stern from the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit is representing the government.
It is important to note that the charges are accusations at this stage, and Sorto-Amaya is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Defense counsel for Sorto-Amaya is Carol Dominguez, Esq.