Darwin Francisco Quituizaca-Duchitanga, Unlawful Reentry, Connecticut 2025

Meriden, Connecticut - In a shocking turn of events, Darwin Francisco Quituizaca-Duchitanga, a 39-year-old Ecuadorian national, has been charged with illegally reentering the United States after being deported.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Quituizaca-Duchitanga, also known as Darwin Duchitanga-Quituizaca and Juan Mendez-Gutierrez, was encountered by U.S. Border Patrol in December 2003 while using an alias of Juan Mendez-Gutierrez. He was issued a voluntary return to Mexico after claiming to be a citizen of Mexico.

However, Quituizaca-Duchitanga's troubles did not end there. In March 2018, the Connecticut State Police arrested and charged him, under the alias Darwin Duchitanga-Quituizaca, with charges related to a fatal motor vehicle accident on I-91 in North Haven in March 2017. On August 30, 2018, ICE encountered Quituizaca-Duchitanga in Meriden and arrested him on an administrative warrant while he was at liberty awaiting trial in his state case.

In September 2018, an immigration judge ordered Quituizaca-Duchitanga removed from the U.S. to Ecuador, but he was subsequently transferred to state custody to face his pending charges. In January 2019, Quituizaca-Duchitanga was convicted in Connecticut Superior Court of manslaughter second degree and sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment.

Despite his conviction and subsequent release from state prison, Quituizaca-Duchitanga managed to illegally reenter the U.S. On June 28, 2025, ICE arrested him on an administrative warrant in Meriden.

Quituizaca-Duchitanga, who has been detained since his arrest, appeared today in Hartford federal court. If convicted of the charge of unlawful reentry, he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.

U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel George.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department 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.

Quituizaca-Duchitanga's full name, Darwin Francisco Quituizaca-Duchitanga, is the defendant/respondent in this case. The exact criminal charges are Unlawful Reentry. The city and state are Meriden, Connecticut. The exact date of the crime is not specified. However, the sentencing date is January 2019, and the arrest date is June 28, 2025. The sentence or outcome is 30 months of imprisonment for manslaughter second degree. There are no dollar amounts mentioned in the source material.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/ecuadoran-national-deported-after-manslaughter-conviction-charged-illegally-reentering