An Ecuadorian national, Lorenzo Antonio Loja-Castro, has been charged with illegal re-entry into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo in Buffalo, New York. According to a criminal complaint, Loja-Castro faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sasha Mascarenhas, who is overseeing the case, described the sequence of events leading to the charge. In March 2025, Homeland Security Investigations received reports of potential illegal aliens working at construction sites in Hamburg, New York. Concerns were raised regarding the unsafe living conditions for tenants compounded by a lack of communication with the workers, who also reportedly blocked tenant units. Surveillance was conducted on March 26, 2025, and several workers, including Loja-Castro, were questioned about their citizenship.
Upon investigation, Loja-Castro admitted in Spanish that he was from Ecuador and lacked legal immigration documents. Further checks revealed that he had been previously apprehended in Middleport, New York, and was deported in July 2024.
This incident falls under Operation Take Back America, an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at curbing illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations. The initiative leverages resources from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Following his arrest, Loja-Castro appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was detained. The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations, under the supervision of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan.