Yesterday, Manny Bautista-Arias, a 31-year-old Dominican man, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawfully reentering the United States after being deported. According to the Department of Justice, this marks Bautista-Arias' third encounter with immigration enforcement.
Bautista-Arias' first removal from the United States occurred in September 2017, following a conviction for possession of a controlled drug with intent to sell in New Hampshire. The DOJ reported that he unlawfully reentered the U.S. sometime after this initial deportation, which then led to his second removal in November 2018. This time, Bautista-Arias had faced another conviction for illegal reentry in the Northern District of Georgia.
Despite his history of deportation and run-ins with the law, Bautista-Arias managed to make his way back to the U.S. for a second time. His unlawful presence was discovered in November 2022 after being arrested in Quincy on charges of trafficking cocaine, possession to distribute methamphetamine, trafficking fentanyl, and conspiracy to violate the controlled substance act.
He was subsequently transferred into the custody of immigration authorities in June 2023. As Bautista-Arias awaits sentencing, scheduled for October 26th, 2023, he faces a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
