Dominican man residing in Pennsylvania charged with illegal re-entry

PHILADELPHIA — A federal grand jury in Scranton, Pa., indicted a 35-year-old Dominican man with illegal re-entry into the United States after having been previously deported. The indictment follows an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

Reynoso Matos, aka Julio Eliezer Minyettis, a native and citizen of the Dominican Republic, was charged April 8. He has a prior aggravated-felony conviction for trafficking of controlled substances. If convicted, Matos faces up to 20 years in prison and fines up to $250,000.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

In fiscal year 2013, ICE conducted 368,644 removals nationwide. Nearly 60 percent of ICE's total removals had been previously convicted of a criminal offense; 82 percent of individuals removed from the interior of the United States were previously convicted of a criminal offense.

In addition to convicted criminals, the agency's enforcement priorities include those apprehended while attempting to unlawfully enter the United States, illegal re-entrants – individuals who returned to the United States after being previously removed by ICE – and immigration fugitives. In fiscal year 2013, 98 percent of ICE removals met these priorities – a record high.