Three Mexican nationals have pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a 2025 traffic stop and foot chase in Amherst, according to U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo.
Erasmo Perez Ruiz, 30, Luis Gerardo Perez Lopez, 29, and Ismael Ivan Perez Lopez, 27, each entered guilty pleas before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. All three were sentenced to time served and were transferred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for further action.
Prosecutors say the case began on September 30, 2025, when U.S. Border Patrol agents attempted to stop a vehicle the men were traveling in. As agents activated emergency lights and sirens, the driver — identified as Perez Ruiz — allegedly fled at a high speed.
The pursuit ended in a retail parking lot, where all three men ran into a nearby wooded area before being quickly apprehended. Investigators later determined that:
- Perez Ruiz had been removed from the U.S. twice in April 2014
- Perez Lopez was removed in May 2018
- Perez Lopez (Ismael Ivan) was removed in May 2017
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Border Patrol under Patrol Agent-in-Charge David Banks.
Federal officials noted the case falls under Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative focused on immigration enforcement and investigations involving transnational criminal organizations.
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