Dominican National Previously Convicted of Drug Trafficking Offense Admits Illegally Reentering U.S.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that YUNIOR BENAVIDES, 50, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to unlawful reentry of a removed alien.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2009, Benavides and others were chargedLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. with federal offenses related to their participation in a Hartford area narcotics distribution conspiracy. He pleaded guilty, was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment and, in November 2013, was deported to the Dominican Republic. Benavides subsequently illegally reentered the U.S.

On March 6, 2026, HSI agents stopped a car in West Hartford in connection with a drug trafficking investigation. Benavides, the driver of the car, was identified as being unlawfully present in the U.S. and was taken into custody. He was also in possession of a false identification document.

Judge Oliver scheduled sentencing for September 22, 2026, at which time Benavides faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. He has been detained since March 6.

This matter has been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.