Joan Manuel Tavarez Bueno, 34, has been convicted by federal jurors in St. Thomas of illegally crossing into United States territory nine months following his deportation to the Dominican Republic.
Tavarez Bueno was found guilty under federal statute 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a), which covers re-entry by previously removed aliens. He faces a maximum sentence of 24 months in prison. Chief District Court Judge Robert A. Molloy will hold a sentencing hearing to set the actual penalty.
The case began when Homeland Security Investigations agents conducted an immigration operation near Red Hook on St. Thomas on March 10, 2025. During a vehicle stop in the East End transit corridor, officers identified Tavarez Bueno as a passenger. Immigration records then showed he had been deported before.
Court evidence demonstrated that federal authorities had removed Tavarez Bueno from the country through Miami, Florida, on February 13, 2024. Despite that removal order, he crossed the maritime border at St. John in November 2024 without authorization from the Secretary of Homeland Security.
Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation with support from Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant United States Attorneys Erik C. Tate and Kimberly Riley, working with Criminal Division Chief Kyle Payne, handled the prosecution. United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced the conviction following the three-day trial.
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