An Ecuadorian national, Manuel Yochuzga-Yopangue, also known as Manuel Yupangui, has pleaded guilty in federal court in Rhode Island to the charge of illegal re-entry into the United States. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Yochuzga-Yopangue, 34, had previously been deported from the U.S. in August 2008. His recent arrest in Rhode Island on state child molestation charges in May 2025 led to his identification by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through an automated biometric fingerprint match with records entered into the National Crime Information Center.
According to immigration files, Yochuzga-Yopangue’s removal from the country took place more than a decade ago. He is set for sentencing on October 28, 2025. A federal district judge will determine his sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr., while ICE conducted the investigation.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America, which aims to use all resources of the Department of Justice to address illegal immigration and target cartels and transnational criminal organizations. The initiative coordinates efforts from both the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
“A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.”
