A Dominican national has admitted guilt in U.S. District Court in Portland for entering the United States illegally after being previously removed. The individual, Odanis Manuel Brea Mejia, aged 53, was apprehended during a drug trafficking investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) in Lewiston.
Court documents reveal that Brea Mejia, who was deported from the U.S. in October 2021, re-entered without authorization. Following his arrest, HSI notified U.S. Customs and Border Protection, leading to his transport to the Rangeley Border Patrol Station by a Border Patrol agent.
Brea Mejia could face up to 20 years in prison and a fine reaching $250,000. His sentencing will occur post-completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will decide on the sentence after reviewing the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other relevant factors.
The case was jointly investigated by HSI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection with support from the MDEA.