Maria Martinez Admits Illegal Re-entry After Cocaine Conviction

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK — Maria Martinez a/k/a Maria Josefa Munagorri Diaz, age 49, of Madrid, Spain, pleaded guilty yesterday to attempting to illegally re-enter the United States — a brazen move that slammed her straight back into federal crosshairs.

The charge stems from an August 8, 2016 incident at the Champlain Port of Entry, where Martinez presented a passport under the alias ‘Maria Josefa Munagorri Diaz’ and sought admission. A routine fingerprint scan exposed her criminal past and confirmed she had been previously deported — making her return a federal felony.

Prosecutors revealed that Martinez was convicted in 2002 in the Northern District of Ohio for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. After serving 32 months in federal prison, she was ordered removed from the United States. Due to her felony conviction, she remains permanently barred from legal re-entry.

At yesterday’s hearing, Martinez admitted she knowingly returned to U.S. soil despite her prior deportation. Her attempt to cross at Champlain — one of the busiest northern border checkpoints — was cut short by biometric detection systems that flagged her criminal record in seconds.

Now facing the full weight of federal immigration law, Martinez could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison and fined as much as $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for May 30, 2017, before Senior U.S. District Judge Norman A. Mordue, who will weigh statutory mandates, sentencing guidelines, and aggravating factors tied to her criminal history.

The case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Collyer. U.S. Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and CBP Port Director Steven Bronson confirmed the details, underscoring federal resolve to intercept deported felons who test the nation’s borders.