A citizen of Ecuador has pleaded guilty for illegal entry after being taken into custody in Cattaraugus County.

U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced that 28-year-old Wilson Paul Loja-Angamarca, 28, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to re-entry of a removed alien. He was sentenced to time served and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, who handled the case, stated that Loja-Angamarca is an alien without any legal status in the United States. He was removed from the United States in October 2019. On July 24, 2025, Loja-Angamarca was found in Cattaraugus County and did not have any documents allowing him to be legally present in the United States.

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.

The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Acting Chief Patrol Agent James D’Amato.