RANGELEY – A citizen of El Salvador previously deported from the United States in 2019 was arrested earlier last month by U.S. Border Patrol agents after they investigated a truck he was operating that was partially impeding traffic.
Per a press release from the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, agents approached a Penske truck in Rangeley that was blocking traffic on Feb. 17. The agents determined the driver, Oscar Armando Reyes-Pais, was a citizen of El Salvador and present illegally in this country.
He was transported by the agents to the Rangeley Border Patrol Station for processing, including biometric checks which revealed that he had been convicted of homicide in El Salvador in 2008. According to the release, Reyes-Pais admitted to killing a woman in that country and had served 10 years in prison for that crime.
Reyes-Pais was also previously deported from this country in 2019, the agency said.
The El Salvador man was transported to the Franklin County Detention Center and held overnight before being released to Border Patrol. He was processed with a Reinstatement of Final Order of Removal. He was also referred for prosecution under 8 USC 1326, the federal law that deals with the reentry of previously removed non-citizens and nationals.
“The arrest of this subject is another reminder of the important work that is being performed, every day,” said Acting Patrol Agent in Charge John Krause of the Rangeley Station.
Rangeley Station is one of six U.S. Border Patrol stations in Maine, all of which fall under the Houlton Sector Headquarters, according to the agency. Agents assigned to the Rangeley Station are responsible for securing 86 miles of border between the United States and Canada.
“These types of arrests occur across the nation and Houlton Sector is no exception,” Houlton Sector Chief Patrol Agent William Maddocks said. “Border Security is National Security, and I am proud of the work my team in Maine does.”
