In a joint operation that included teams from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Virginia Basora-Gonzalez, a 36-year-old from the Dominican Republic, has been arrested in Philadelphia. On Wednesday, these federal agencies successfully apprehended Basora-Gonzalez, who has faced previous drug trafficking convictions.
According to a statement from ICE, Basora-Gonzalez's criminal history includes convictions for attempted possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and aiding and abetting. Previously deported from the U.S., she reentered the country without authorization. "The apprehension of Virginia Basora-Gonzalez demonstrates our commitment to protecting our communities from criminal aliens who engage in serious illegal activities that pose a threat to public safety," said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Philadelphia acting Field Office Director Brian McShane. The collaboration between the agencies highlights a concerted effort to enforce immigration laws and target individuals deemed dangerous to society.
Basora-Gonzalez was initially arrested and charged by the Drug Enforcement Administration in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania with attempted possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and aiding and abetting, on June 6, 2019. Subsequently, she was sentenced to 12 months and one day of confinement followed by four years of supervised release on March 12, 2020, after pleading guilty to the charges.
Following her sentence, ICE removed Basora-Gonzalez to the Dominican Republic on Oct. 6, 2020. On the day of her latest arrest, ICE issued her a notice of intent to reinstate her final order of removal, and also secured a federal arrest warrant, and criminal complaint from a U.S. magistrate judge. She is currently in federal custody in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania awaiting charges for reentry after deportation.
The arrest has drawn attention to ICE's ongoing mission to boost public safety across Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia. For more insight into ICE's local initiatives, information is available through their Philadelphia office’s social media handle @EROPhiladelphia.
