SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico –Three citizens of the Dominican Republic appeared today before federal District Magistrate Judge Marcos Lopez facing charges for violation of immigration law after entering illegally into the island. 

The three defendants are Jesus Mambrux, 26, aka. José R. Paulino-Ramírez; Maria Encarnación-Tejada, 40,  aka Maria Encarnación- Castillo and/or Margari Nurys Castillo-Pujols; and Oscar Cordones, 27. 

In the hearing, the defendants were charged with violation to Title 8, United States Code, Section 1325, which proscribes entering the United States at any time or place other than as designated by immigration officers. 

Defendant Mambrux was also charged with a violation to Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326, which proscribes the re-entry of a previously removed alien. 

The defendants belonged to a group of 12 aliens that landed December 20 on Mona Island, on board a 22 ft. makeshift vessel or “yola”.

Park Rangers of the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources contacted the US Border Patrol, ascribed to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), for assistance and immigration processing. 

A CBP helicopter from the Caribbean Air and Marine Branch transported Border Patrol Agents to conduct the appropriate immigration interviews. 

The CBP helicopter transported all the aliens from Mona Island to the Ramey Border Patrol Station for further processing. 

Border Patrol Agents interviewed the aliens, checked their fingerprints and verified their criminal and immigration history. 

Defendants Mambrux, Encarnación and Castillo had previous immigration encounters and previously removed to the Dominican Republic. The immigration record for defendant Mambrux revealed that an Immigration Judge formally removed him in 2007. 

The remaining nine aliens were removed to the Dominican Republic.

Border Patrol presented the case to the Immigration Unit of the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico for prosecution. Special United States Attorney Russell Booker III will prosecute the case. 

Defendant Mambrux faces a fine or imprisonment for not more than 2 years, or both. The other two alien defendants face a fine or imprisonment for not more than 6 months, or both.