A Guatemalan national living unlawfully in Massachusetts has been sentenced for bringing in and harboring an illegal alien who crossed into the United States from Canada, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.
Esdras Aaron Calel-Cumes, 30, received a sentence of time served from U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante. He is currently in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody pending deportation to Guatemala. His co-defendant, Xiloj-Ambrocio, was charged with one count of illegal entry and has already been deported.
“Individuals who cross our borders illegally will be held accountable. This case demonstrates our ongoing commitment to supporting our law enforcement partners along New Hampshire’s northern border,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan. “We will continue to bring federal prosecutions when appropriate to protect the integrity of our borders and the safety of our communities.”
“We will continue to vigorously patrol the New Hampshire/Canada border to interdict and investigate smuggling cases like this one,” said Acting Patrol Agent in Charge William Laymon of the Beecher Falls, VT Border Patrol Station. “Illegal entry and alien smuggling are federal crimes, and we will seek criminal prosecution on those who commit them.”
The incident occurred on September 9, 2024, when U.S. Customs and Border Protection detected Luis Felipe Xiloj-Ambrocio crossing illegally from Canada into Pittsburg, New Hampshire. Calel-Cumes traveled from Massachusetts to pick him up, but both were apprehended by law enforcement while driving south on U.S. Route 3.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection led the investigation into the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative that coordinates resources across agencies such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) to address illegal immigration, dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and combat violent crime nationwide.
