SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Field Operations officers arrested Wednesday a previously removed felon attempting to board a flight to Boston.
Euclides Suarez-Holguin, a citizen of the Dominican Republic appeared yesterday before the US District Court Magistrate Judge Camille Velez-Rive to face charges for violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a)(2)(b)(2), for re-entering after a previous removal that was subsequent to a conviction for commission of an aggravated felony.
“Persons who have committed serious crimes try to hide from being detected by authorities” stated Marcelino Borges, Director of Field Operations for Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. “Our officers are always vigilant in identifying individuals who are illegally present in the island.”
Mr. Suarez-Holguin was encountered at the Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport in Carolina, Puerto Rico, attempting to board a domestic flight bound to the Logan International Airport in Massachusetts. When the CBP officers, who were conducting immigration inspections as mandated by federal law, asked for identification he presented a passport of the Dominican Republic, with no valid visa.
In secondary inspection, a biometric database revealed that Mr. Suarez-Holguin was convicted in 2005 at the New York County Superior Court for Criminal Possession Narcotic Drug-4th degree and sentenced to a five (5) year term of probation. On September 18, 2009, he was convicted at the Bronx County Superior Court for Criminal Sale Controlled Substance-5th degree and sentenced to two (2) years’ incarceration, after which he was deported.
In 2011 he was apprehended by Border Patrol Agents at Falfurias, Texas and was convicted in the United States District Court Southern District of Texas, and sentenced to sixteen (16) months’ incarceration and three (3) years’ Supervised Release.
Mr. Suarez-Holguin admitted that he re-entered the US via Puerto Rico in November 2015.
CBP field operations officers presented the case to the US Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
If convicted, Mr. Suarez-Holguin could be fined, imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.
