A federal grand jury in Providence indicted Fabio Lenin Aza-Velez, a Dominican national, on March 18 for illegally reentering the United States after being deported following a drug trafficking conviction, according to United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address illegal reentry by individuals previously convicted of serious crimes and deported from the country.
According to the indictment, Aza-Velez, age 45, was removed from the United States on November 10, 2009, after being convicted in New York for felony narcotics offenses. These offenses included criminal sale of a controlled substance on school grounds. Court records show that he was sentenced on January 12, 2006, to three to nine years’ imprisonment for those crimes. The indictment alleges that after his removal from the country, Aza-Velez returned without obtaining consent from either the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security.
Aza-Velez was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers on March 12. Prosecutors emphasize that an indictment is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Assistant United States Attorney Ronald R. Gendron is prosecuting the case following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The matter falls under Operation Take Back America, which aims to use all resources of the Department of Justice to combat illegal immigration and eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
