Source: Office of United States Attorneys
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Jorge Humberto Moreno Martinez, 34, of Venezuela, has been charged by criminal complaint with being unlawfully present in the United States after having been previously removed by immigration officials.
On January 28, 2025, Moreno appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered that Moreno be detained during the pendency of this matter.
According to court records, Moreno was previously removed from the United States by immigration officials on November 15, 2016, after he completed a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence following his New York felony conviction for burglary in the second degree. At that time, Moreno was advised and acknowledged that due to his criminal history he was prohibited from entering or attempting to enter the United States. Despite that warning, Moreno re-entered the United States and his presence in the country thereafter was in violation of U.S. law.
Court records also state that when agents from the Department of Homeland Security attempted to arrest Moreno at a parking lot in Williston, Vermont, on January 27, 2025, Moreno fled in a vehicle, hitting three law enforcement vehicles before travelling at more than 100 miles per hour on a busy street before he was apprehended. As he drove, items were discarded from Moreno’s vehicle. Law enforcement recovered some of those items, which tested presumptively positive for cocaine base and cocaine.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Moreno is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Moreno faces up to 20 years’ incarceration 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 Department of Homeland Security, including its Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Enforcement and Removal Operations (“ERO”), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP”) divisions, with assistance from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”).
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Colin Owyang. Moreno is represented by Brooks McArthur, Esq.