- Fernando Goncalves Dos Santos pleaded guilty to illegal reentry in New Haven federal court on July seventeenth.
- The Brazilian national had previously been deported in November twenty-twenty-three following several domestic violence arrests.
- A federal judge scheduled the sentencing for October ninth, twenty-twenty-six, with a maximum two-year prison term.
Fernando Goncalves Dos Santos, a 38-year-old Brazilian national deported from the United States after domestic violence arrests in Connecticut, pleaded guilty July 17 to illegally reentering the country, federal prosecutors said.
He entered the plea in New Haven federal court after waiving his right to be indicted. The charge, unlawful reentry of a removed alien, carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison.
U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson set sentencing for October 9, 2026, in Hartford. The federal case followed a March arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations unit.
Free toolUSCIS Receipt Number DecoderThe case began with arrests in Danbury. It ended in federal court.
David X. Sullivan, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced the plea through the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut. Prosecutors said the government’s case involved both his earlier removal and criminal conduct after he returned.
| India | China | ROW | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | Oct 15, 2022 | Jul 01, 2023 ▲30d | Current |
| EB-2 | Unavailable | Sep 01, 2021 | Current |
| EB-3 | Jan 01, 2014 | Jan 01, 2022 ▲10d | Sep 01, 2024 ▲31d |
| F-1 | Dec 15, 2018 ▲317d | Dec 15, 2018 ▲317d | Dec 15, 2018 ▲317d |
| F-2A | Jul 22, 2026 ▲567d | Jul 22, 2026 ▲567d | Jul 22, 2026 ▲567d |
“.waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to unlawful reentry of a removed alien.”
Sullivan also tied the prosecution to Operation Take Back America, a Justice Department initiative established in early 2025.
“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.”
Danbury arrests preceded the first removal
Danbury police first arrested Goncalves Dos Santos in January 2023 on multiple domestic violence offenses. Officers arrested him again in March and May that year.
The later arrests involved violations of protective orders and threats. The sequence brought him to the attention of federal immigration authorities.
ICE arrested him on June 22, 2023. He was removed to Brazil on November 17, 2023.
The removal did not end the case. Prosecutors say he later returned to the United States without authorization.
A Connecticut conviction followed his return
After reentering the country, Goncalves Dos Santos was convicted in Connecticut Superior Court in 2025 for violation of conditions of release, second degree.
That state conviction preceded the federal immigration prosecution. The federal charge focuses on his return after removal, while the earlier arrests and state case provide the criminal history described by prosecutors.
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations arrested him on a federal criminal complaint on March 27, 2026, in Bethel, Connecticut.
The arrest brought the matter into federal court. He later entered a guilty plea rather than proceeding through an indictment.
Sentencing will determine the federal penalty
Thompson will sentence Goncalves Dos Santos in Hartford on October 9. The unlawful-reentry charge permits a maximum term of two years in prison.
The plea resolves his criminal responsibility for returning after removal, but sentencing remains ahead. The court will decide the punishment within the limits of the federal charge.
After any federal prison sentence, the prior removal order will likely be reinstated, followed by permanent deportation from the United States, according to the case information released by federal authorities.
Immigration consequences can depend on the removal record, the criminal convictions and the person’s procedural history. A qualified immigration attorney can assess those issues in an individual case.
Prosecutors place the case in a broader enforcement initiative
The Justice Department created Operation Take Back America in early 2025 by combining resources from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood. The initiative targets what the department describes as “egregious alien offenders.”
The department has presented the program as a way to coordinate federal resources against cartels, transnational criminal organizations and people accused of violent crime. Sullivan’s statement placed the Connecticut prosecution within that national effort.
The enforcement approach also reflects a federal focus on people who return after removal and have additional criminal records. In this case, the record cited by prosecutors includes the 2023 domestic violence arrests, the 2025 Connecticut conviction and the 2026 federal complaint.
The immigration agency has emphasized public safety in New England communities when discussing the removal of repeat offenders with domestic violence histories. Goncalves Dos Santos’ sentencing date remains the next scheduled event in the federal case.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney about your specific case.
