PROVIDENCE – The grim halls of federal court in Rhode Island echo with the admission of guilt from Manuel Yochuzga-Yopangue, also known as Manuel Yupangui, a 34-year-old Ecuadorian national. This admission comes after Yochuzga-Yopangue faced charges for illegal re-entry into the United States, a brazen defiance of his 2008 deportation order.
The defendant’s reemergence on American soil was flagged by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through a chilling automated biometric fingerprint match. The match was triggered following Yochuzga-Yopangue’s arrest in Rhode Island for state child molestation charges, a heinous crime that has haunted the local community.
Records reveal that Yochuzga-Yopangue had been banished from the United States and his immigration files bear witness to this fact. Now, facing the court’s judgment, he is set to be sentenced on October 28, 2025, for a crime that spans nearly two decades.
The Assistant United States Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr., is prosecuting this case with unwavering determination, while the diligent work of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ensures that justice is served.
This incident underscores the Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America initiative, a nationwide effort to combat illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations, safeguarding communities from such predators. The operation leverages resources from various task forces within the department, including the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
As Yochuzga-Yopangue awaits his fate, it is a stark reminder of the lengths some will go to re-enter a land they were once banished from. The federal indictment against him remains an accusation, as he continues to be presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
RELATED: Yochuzga-Yopangue Pleads Guilty to Illegal Re-entry
RELATED: Ecuadorian National Busted for Repeat Illegal Entry
Related Federal Cases
- Ecuadorian Deported in 2008 Indicted for Illegal Re-Entry · Rhode Island
- Rodriguez Sentenced for Illegal Re-Entry After Deportation · Rhode Island
- Guatemalan National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry After 2014 Drug Trafficking Conviction · Rhode Island
- James Blocks President’s Illegal Vote Grab · Illinois
- James Blocks DOT’s Illegal Funding Conditions · Rhode Island
Key Facts
- State: Rhode Island
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
