A Spanish national, Jose Angel Hidalgo-Torres, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor to reentering the United States after having previously been removed from the country. According to court records, Hidalgo-Torres, 20, was found in Calais on July 18, 2025, shortly after illegally entering the United States. He had been removed from the country in May 2024.
Hidalgo-Torres faces a potential sentence of up to two years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentencing will occur following the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol.
According to the Department of Justice, “Operation Take Back America: 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).”
