BUFFALO, N.Y.—Today, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announce the arrest of a citizen of Colombia previously deported from the United States.
On Dec. 9, CBP officers working at the Peace Bridge port of entry encountered 59-year-old Maria Villamarin Hernandez, a citizen and resident of Colombia.
Villamarin Hernandez was traveling to the United States on a commercial bus and presented a valid passport from Spain to CBP officers as identification. CBP officers performed a fingerprint check to verify Villamarin Hernandez’s identity and discovered that she was previously removed from the United States in 2004 after being convicted of criminal possession of a controlled substance.
The passport that Villamarin Hernandez presented was valid, issued by the country of Spain and displayed an altered date of birth to conceal her true identity. The place of birth annotated on the passport displayed Venezuela even though she was born in Colombia.
CBP enforcement officers contacted the United States Attorney and presented the case for prosecution. The case was accepted and Villamarin Hernandez was subsequently arrested by CBP enforcement officers facing charges of reentry after deportation and making false statements.