BUFFALO, N.Y. — A 41-year-old Honduran national previously convicted of sexually assaulting a child and deported in 2005 pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five months in federal prison for illegal re-entry, U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced.
Arlem Bayardo Cabrera-Escoto was arrested in Depew, N.Y., on April 22, 2026, as part of a targeted enforcement effort when law enforcement stopped a truck carrying four illegal immigrants who had exited a nearby residence. All four admitted they were in the United States illegally and had no immigration documents authorizing their presence. When officers asked the driver to step out, he attempted to flee on foot and actively resisted arrest. The three passengers, including Cabrera-Escoto, also fled. Cabrera-Escoto was taken into custody a short time later.
During processing, federal authorities determined that Cabrera-Escoto had been convicted of 2nd Degree Sexual Assault of a Child — an aggravated felony — in Wisconsin in April 2005 and sentenced to 240 days’ confinement. He was physically removed from the United States in August 2005.
U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara imposed the five-month sentence. After serving his prison term, Cabrera-Escoto will be turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for removal proceedings.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan W. Fitzgerald and arose from an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Acting Chief Patrol Agent James D’Amato, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Anthony Patrone.
The arrest was part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, “Protecting the American People Against Invasion.” The HSTF Buffalo operation draws on agents and officers from more than a dozen federal agencies, including HSI, the FBI, ATF, DEA, the U.S. Marshals Service, and Enforcement and Removal Operations. The task force places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting crimes involving children and removing violent criminal illegal immigrants from the United States.
Illegal re-entry after removal following an aggravated felony conviction is prosecuted under 8 U.S.C. § 1326 and can carry penalties of up to 20 years in prison. Cabrera-Escoto will remain in federal custody pending transfer to ICE upon completion of his sentence.