ALBANY, NEW YORK – Luis Armando Tamaquiza Bastidas, 43, of Ecuador, pled guilty Tuesday, July 28, to one count of illegal reentry into the United States. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Richard J. Fortunato, Acting Chief Patrol Agent, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, made the announcement.
Tamaquiza Bastidas had been arrested two previous times for entering the United States illegally. Most recently, in October 2025, he was arrested in Texas and was subsequently deported later that year. On May 24, 2026, Tamaquiza Bastidas was arrested after crossing the United States-Canada border near Churubusco, New York.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated, “The failures of the previous administration’s border and immigration policies created openings that allowed illegal aliens to enter our nation by the millions. This defendant exploited those gaps and has already been deported twice. On his third attempt to illegally enter the United States, he was stopped thanks to President Trump’s strong policies and the men and women at U.S. Border Patrol. He will now serve a federal prison sentence and, once completed, will again be deported.”
Acting Chief Patrol Agent Richard J. Fortunato said, “I commend the agents of Swanton Sector for their hard work in contributing to the successful prosecution of those who commit crimes along our nation’s borders. Our efforts help protect and improve the quality of life for border communities and for those in the interior of our country.”
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino sentenced Tamaquiza Bastidas to two months’ imprisonment. Following his sentence, Tamaquiza Bastidas is subject to deportation.
United States Border Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Whalen prosecuted the case.