ICE arrests illegal alien with previous drug trafficking conviction

PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrested Virginia Basora-Gonzalez, a 36-year-old citizen of the Dominican Republic, in Philadelphia during a joint operation, March 12.

Basora-Gonzalez has prior convictions for attempted possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and aiding and abetting. She was previously removed from the U.S. and reentered the country without admission by an immigration official.

“The apprehension of Virginia Basora-Gonzalez demonstrates our commitment to protecting our communities from criminal aliens who engage in serious illegal activities that pose a threat to public safety,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Philadelphia acting Field Office Director Brian McShane. “This successful joint operation exemplifies the collaborative efforts of federal law enforcement agencies to enforce our nation's immigration laws and remove dangerous individuals from our streets.”

The Drug Enforcement Administration arrested and charged Basora-Gonzalez in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania with attempted possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and aiding and abetting on June 6, 2019. Basora-Gonzalez was sentenced to 12 months and one day confinement and four years of supervised release March 12, 2020, after pleading guilty to the charges.

ICE removed Basora-Gonzalez from the United States to the Dominican Republic on Oct. 6, 2020.

ICE issued Basora-Gonzalez a notice of intent to reinstate final order of removal March 12 and on the same day obtained a federal arrest warrant and criminal complaint from a U.S. magistrate judge and turned her over to the U.S. Marshals Service. She will remain in federal custody pending charges for reentry after deportation in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia communities on X: @EROPhiladelphia.