Border Patrol Busts Previously Deported Mexican Crossing Border -- In Maine

U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested an illegal immigrant from Mexico as he crossed the border from Canada into Maine. Immigration officials deported the Mexican national less than one year ago.

A concerned citizen notified agents assigned to the Houston Station in Maine about a possible illegal border crossing. The tipster told agents they saw a male running into the woods near the town of Hodgdon, Maine, on the morning of November 28. Agents responded to the area and tracked the illegal northern border crossed down. The agents took the man into custody without incident, according to information obtained by Breitbart Texas from U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials.

“This arrest is a stark reminder of the crucial work that the men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol do every day to secure our international boundaries and keep America safe,” Houlton Sector Chief Patrol Agent Daniel Hiebert said in a written statement. “Additionally, this apprehension might not have been possible without the vigilant eyes of local citizens. This speaks volumes concerning the strong relationships built between the U.S. Border Patrol and the rural communities in Maine that we serve.”

Agents transported the Mexican national to the station where a background investigation revealed that Eliud Lopez-Baez had been deported earlier in 2017. Officials did not indicate how Lopez-Baez made it from Mexico to Canada in order to illegally cross into the U.S. CBP officials also did not disclose if the illegal alien had any other criminal history.

“Maine’s international boundary is vast and remote,” U.S. Border Patrol Agent and Houlton Sector Public Affairs Liaison Jonathan Maynard said. “The citizenry of the communities that we serve often relay information to us on situations that may seem out of place. It is important that if you see something, say something.”

Lopez-Baez pleaded guilty to charges of illegal re-entry after removal. The Mexican national now faces a possible sentence of up to two years in federal prison and a fine of not more than $250,000.

Earlier in November, Border Patrol agents in New York arrested three Mexican citizens who were illegally present in the U.S. One of those arrested, Juan Humberto Martinez-Martinez has an extensive criminal history that includes convictions for multiple felonies, Breitbart Texas reported.