United States of America v. Benjamin Gutierrez-Morales

Burlington, Vermont criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with Bringing Illegal Aliens to the United States

Mexican Man Charged with Bringing Aliens to the United States

A federal grand jury indicted Benjamin Gutierrez-Morales, 28, of Sonora, Mexico, with illegally bringing aliens to the United States.



Gutierrez-Morales met two aliens north of the United States-Canada international border on April 5, 2025. He led those two aliens on foot south across the border. Law enforcement caught all three aliens near Lost Nation Road in Berkshire, Vermont. The two aliens who Gutierrez-Morales brought to the United States both pleaded guilty to illegally entering the United States on April 7, 2025.



The United States Attorney's Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Gutierrez-Morales is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Gutierrez-Morales faces up to 10 years of imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.



Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol.



The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Joshua L. Banker. Gutierrez-Morales is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Emily Kenyon.



This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).