Mexican Citizen Pleads Guilty To Re-Entry Charge, Sentenced To 20 Months In Prison

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Pablo Vargas-Arriga, 41, a citizen of Mexico, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to re-entry of a previously removed alien and was sentenced to serve 20 months in prison. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that on June 16, 2019, Brockport Police Officers encountered the defendant while responding to a domestic call. U.S. Border Patrol Agents were then called to the residence. Vargas-Arriaga stated he was a citizen of Mexico and did not have documents that would allow him to be or remain in the United States legally. The defendant was subsequently charged by the Brockport Police Department with various offenses related to the domestic incident. In November 2019, further investigation determined that Vargas-Arriaga has no valid immigration status, has five previous criminal convictions, and was removed from the United States on five previous occasions.

The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent-in-Charge Eduardo Payan, and the Brockport Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Cuzzupoli.