2 men arrested in border smuggling case
12/31/08 | 17 comments

2 men arrested in border smuggling case


By Judy Harrison
BDN Staff

BANGOR, Maine — Two men arrested Saturday in the Houlton area have been charged in U.S. District Court in Bangor with violating immigration laws.

One man is charged with being in the country after deportation. The other man is charged with trying to help smuggle the illegal alien across the border.

Pedro Miguel Pereira Gloria, 34, of Perdigao Anadia, Portugal, was found sometime Saturday walking along White Settlement Road in East Hodgdon by a U.S. Border Patrol Agent, according to court documents. He told the agent that he did not know that he was in the U.S. but had become lost walking around in Canada.

Pereira appeared Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Margaret Kravchuk on the charge of re-entry after deportation. Immigration records showed that Pereira was deported in August from New Jersey. Pereira agreed to be held without bail until the resolution of his case.

If convicted, he faces up to two years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Laurentino Goncalves Branco, 34, of Kearny, N.J., first attempted Friday night to cross the border into Canada at Woodstock, New Brunswick, with his wife and daughter, according to court documents. He told officers with the Canada Border Services that the family planned to go skiing in Halifax, but during a search of his car, agents found a map of the White Settlement Road area near Houlton.

Because there were no immigration officials on duty, Canadian agents sent Branco, who is a U.S. citizen, back to the U.S. and suggested he and his family return Saturday morning, according to court documents. Canadian agents communicated to their U.S. counterparts their suspicions that Branco might be planning to smuggle someone into the country.

After questioning Pereira on Saturday, investigators phoned Branco and asked him to come to the Houlton Border Patrol Station for questioning, according to court documents. Branco allegedly admitted that he had planned to meet Pereira in East Hodgdon and drive him to New Jersey. He said that he knew Pereira when he lived in New Jersey earlier this year.

Branco told agents that he had been given $1,500 by Pereira’s wife to pay a smuggler in Canada who transported her husband from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Woodstock, New Brunswick, according to court documents. The New Jersey man allegedly confessed that he crossed the border legally into Canada on Saturday morning and gave the money to a man named Brian, who gave him the map.

Branco is charged with attempt to transport an alien. He appeared Monday before Kravchuk, who set bail at $15,000 unsecured.

If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

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Comments
17 comments on this item
On 12/31/08 at 6:25 AM, Knightscross wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Throw both in jail for a few years, then deport the Illegal Alien.

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On 12/31/08 at 6:34 AM, moosetopia wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Just deport them. I don't want my tax dollars going to feeding or housing them.

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On 12/31/08 at 8:13 AM, Tikitorch wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I agree deport them, let the country they are from pay for their incarceration!

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On 12/31/08 at 8:29 AM, soldiermom wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden
On 12/31/08 at 8:30 AM, soldiermom wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

oops!! Yep sounds like Kravchuk is a good ole American name too

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On 12/31/08 at 8:37 AM, boat17 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

How are they crossing the state lines, just think they could be bringing in a bomb, or drugs??

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On 12/31/08 at 9:53 AM, Levite wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Oops build a FENCE !!!!!!

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On 12/31/08 at 10:46 AM, Charles wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

the weather must of been extra special nice for crossing the border....geez.....

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On 12/31/08 at 11:08 AM, Hampden1 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Where's Brian? No law broken here for an illegal smuggler?? NIce!!

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On 12/31/08 at 11:44 AM, debbiedu wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

jail and deportation.....lets follow the laws on the books......gotta start somewhere....

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On 12/31/08 at 11:55 AM, CeeBlue wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Bravo!!

In AZ. when an invader is caught he/she is simply given a ride back to the border and requested not to do it again.

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On 12/31/08 at 3:47 PM, boughtandsold wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

It's about time you folks in Maine began doing something about illegal immigration in your state!

Do you know how much money is spent on illegal aliens in California? Billions!

Money that could take care of our American citizens!

Illegal aliens have babies on California soil and then get their much prized JACKPOT!

Welfare, free medical, free access to our public schools. Free lunches you name it they get it!

The males work under the table so it's a win win situation.

California is now broke! IOU's are going to be issued to California creditors THERE IS NO MONEY?

http://briansullivan.blogs.foxbusiness.com/2008/12/23/if-california-goes-broke-who-pays-the-massive

http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/id.138/pub_detail.asp

http://morganwrites.wordpress.com/2008/07/03/californias-illegal-aliens-cost-taxpayers-nearly-9-billio

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On 12/31/08 at 4:33 PM, wensdayschild123 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Hats off to the US Border Patrol. Since 9-11 we have moved to make our borders even more secure and it's working. Through an increase in personell and technology we have invested in just that and to repeat, it's working. Give us more of both, not only are the new agents providing that critical service, but they and their families are proving to be good neighbors.

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On 12/31/08 at 6:14 PM, Scollins327 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

throw em over board at sea with their drugs in hand

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On 12/31/08 at 7:38 PM, bthanson wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

amen too that wc123

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On 1/1/09 at 6:23 AM, SteveP wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Geeze - who are the nuts making all these illegal alien comments? They must all be right-wing kooks from Arizona and MinuteMen wannabees. I see most of them have such poor reading skills they missed the "Branco, who is a U.S. citizen" part. Kind of tough to deport him, then.

Up in the County they need all the bodies they can get - heaven knows Augusta and Washington don't care. Come to think of it, they could secede to Canada and no one would notice.

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On 1/9/09 at 2:54 AM, eveningrain wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I agree with SteveP. If they are caught breaking the law as they have been, they deserve to be punished. By it's employers and others who want these people to come and do all the dirty work for slave wages. My late brother's wife hates Mexicans, but she didn't mind having a Mexican lady come to her huge million dollar home and clean it from top to bottom for slave wages. They don't their gardners doing the same. Californians complain about immigrants crossing over - but they love to hire them for next to nothing. They're breaking the law too - even elected officials had illegal aliens working for them in CA and were not following the law as far as SS, taxes, etc., are concerned. Hypocrites. The last thing I want to see is another wall anywhere. People should be screaming about that wall in Arizona that is costing us billions of dollars to construct - it's the Berlin Wall of the American west. Granted, we have to be very careful and strict about who enters this country and entry should be done legally, bottom line. Perhaps if they offered more green cards for these folks to cross to work and return home again. They want to live in their own country with their families but their families are starving and need more money to survive.

The government hollers about this - but they forget how they used American military and risked their lives, guarding planes headed for the US loaded with coke and other drugs. They would have them surround the air strips and protect these creeps - and what soldier could refuse? Especially in Vietnam.

Look at how horribly treated those poor Guatamalians were working in that factory in New Bedford, MA They were hauled off and their children left behind. What a terrible thing to do.

I have traveled to Canada alot and have never been searched at the border. I have nothing to hide, so maybe they are just use to looking for certain signs that raise their suspicions. I think between Maine and Canada we shouldn't have to cross any borders anyhow - we are too close for that. If you have a Maine driver's license, are an American citizen, and let them check us for criminal records - they should just wave us on through. If I ever have to leave the US - Canada would be my next choice as to where to live. I love Canada. I love Maine more - but I could be very happy living in Canada too.

This guy they caught did something to get deported. Just lock him up and put him on the next plane to Portugal.

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