Ana Castro Castro, a 38-year-old citizen of Ecuador, pleaded guilty to illegally re-entering the United States after being previously removed. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara in Buffalo, New York. Following her guilty plea, she was sentenced to time served and transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.
According to Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, Castro was deported from the United States in July 2021. On August 1, 2025, Border Patrol agents found her in Erie County, New York. She did not have documentation permitting her legal presence in the country.
“This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.”
The investigation leading to this case was conducted by U.S. Border Patrol under Patrol Agent-in-Charge David Banks.
