Guatemalan Man Sentenced in Maine For Illegal Re-Entry After 2014 Deportation

A Guatemalan man who had previously been deported from the United States was recently sentenced in federal court in Bangor. Authorities said he illegally re-entered the country and was later found near the U.S.-Canada border in Maine.

U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced 33-year-old Elmer Enrique Ramirez-Ardon to time served, according to a new press release. Ramirez-Ardon had pleaded guilty on April 16, 2026, to illegally re-entering the United States after a prior removal.

According to the court records, U.S. Border Patrol agents spotted a white box truck traveling north in Franklin County on March 12, 2026. The truck was moving towards the U.S.-Canadian border near Startton when agents became suspicious about the occupants.

Authorities said Ramirez-Ardon was sitting in the passenger seat of the truck. Agents watched the vehicle before stopping it after the driver suddenly reversed direction and headed south toward the interior of the state.

During a roadside immigration inspection, agents found that both people inside the truck were in the country without authorization. The two men were then taken to the Rangeley Border Patrol Station for processing.

At the station, agents identified Ramirez-Ardon as a citizen of Guatemala who had previously been deported from the United States in 2014.

Federal prosecutors said Ramirez-Ardon has re-entered the country after that removal, which led to the criminal charge in the Maine case.

The U.S. Border Patrol later carried out the investigation. Federal officials said the case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative focused on immigration enforcement and border security.

According to the Justice Department, the initiative is aimed at using “the full resources” of the department to combat illegal immigration, dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organisations, and protect communities from violent crimes.

Ramirez-Ardon appeared before the U.S. District Court in Bangor for sentencing after entering his guilty pleas earlier this spring.

Court records did not indicate whether the second person found inside the truck is facing any charges. The sentencing closes the federal case that began with a Border Patrol stop near Stratton, a small western Maine town.

Officials have increased patrol efforts in that region in recent years because of its proximity to the Canadian border. Also, under Trump’s second term as the President, a greater portion of resources and steps are allocated to eliminate immigrants from the country who are living without authorization. Although many have been against the policies of ICE.