Four men have been charged with illegal re-entry into the United States, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo for the Western District of New York. Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The individuals named in separate criminal complaints are Salvador Vargas Nava, 43, of Mexico; Juver Vidal Quex Tocora, 29, of Guatemala; and Jose de Jesus Rodiguez Esparza, 32, and Mauricio Rangel Rangel, 48, both of Mexico.
On October 20, 2025, law enforcement stopped Vargas Nava in Concord, NY after he ran two stop signs. Authorities determined he did not possess valid immigration documents permitting him to be in the country. He had previously been removed from the United States in July 2009.
On the same day in Amherst, NY, law enforcement encountered Quex Tocora. He also lacked valid immigration documents and had been removed from the U.S. in May 2013.
On October 16, 2025, police attempted to stop two vehicles associated with a company believed to transport and hire undocumented immigrants in West Seneca, NY. Mauricio Rangel Rangel was found without legal status and had previously been removed from the country in October 2014. Jose de Jesus Rodiguez Esparza was apprehended after attempting to flee on foot; he also lacked legal documentation and had been removed from the U.S. in September 2016.
All four defendants made initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder Jr., where they were ordered detained.
“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 was conducted by U.S. Border Patrol Buffalo Station under Patrol Agent-in-Charge David Banks. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sasha Mascarenhas is prosecuting the case.
“The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.”
