Dominican Man Charged For Illegally Crossing The Northern Border

Wednesday, November 13, 2024, 8:45 A.M. ET. 1 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

BURLINGTON, VT.- U.S.Attorney Nicholas P.Kerest reported that on October 31, 2024, a Federal Grand Jury for the District of Vermont returned an indictment against Edison Capellan-Ortiz, 49, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, charging him with Illegally Reentering the United States after being Removed for the Commission of an Aggravated Felony.

     On Friday, November 8, 2024, Capellan-Ortiz appeared in U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont for arraignment and pleaded not guilty to the charge before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. After entering his not guilty plea, Judge Doyle ordered Capellan-Ortiz to remain detained in federal custody pending trial.

     According to documents filed with the court, Capellan-Ortiz, a convicted fentanyl dealer who was removed last year from the United States, was arrested on October 20, 2024, by Customs and Border Patrol agents after he was found hiding in the woods near the Canadian Vermont border. Capellan-Ortiz ran into the woods after Border Patrol agents intercepted an alleged human smuggling operation involving three other people.

“The rules of the court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”