A Dominican national residing in Lawrence, Mass., has been indicted by a federal grand jury for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Santos Eduardo Diaz Melo, 41, was charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Diaz Melo was arrested by immigration authorities on May 9, 2025.
He will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the indictment, Diaz Melo was deported from the United States on May 5, 2020.
It is alleged that sometime after his May 2020 removal, Diaz Melo illegally reentered the United States without permission.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed.
Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston, made the announcement.
