CONCORD – Two Guatemalan men were arrested in connection with illegal immigration offenses, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

 Esdras Aaron Calel-Cumes, 29, and Luis Felipe Xiloj-Ambrocio, 31, were charged by complaint, stemming from an arrest yesterday – September 9, 2024. Calel-Cumes was charged with one count of transporting an illegal alien, and Xiloj-Ambrocio was charged with one count of illegal entry.

Both men will appear in federal court later today. According to the charging documents, on September 9, 2024, remote surveillance equipment detected and captured images of a male walking in a remote and undeveloped area, just south of the Pittsburg Port of Entry in the northern most part of New Hampshire near the United States/Canadian International Border, in close proximity to US Route 3.

Shortly thereafter, a responding Border Patrol Agent stopped a southbound vehicle after observing a male in the passenger seat who was wearing dark clothing like that of the individual who was captured on the surveillance images. The passenger was identified as Xiloj-Ambrocio.

 Both men were identified as Guatemalan nationals, and a record check revealed that neither Calel-Cumes nor Xiloj-Ambrocio had legal status in the United States. The charge of transportation of an illegal alien carries a sentence of up to 5 years incarceration, up to 3 years of supervised released, and a fine up to $250,000. The charge of illegal entry carries a sentence of up to 6 months incarceration, up to 1 year of supervised release. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. U.S. Customs and Border Protection led the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Scanlon is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.