HARTFORD – Yunior Benavides, a 50-year-old citizen of the Dominican Republic, has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for illegally reentering the United States after being deported. U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver imposed the sentence during a federal court hearing on Thursday, according to U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut David Sullivan.
Benavides was originally charged in connection with a drug trafficking operation in Hartford in 2009, where he was involved in a narcotics distribution conspiracy. He pleaded guilty at that time and received a five-year prison sentence, followed by deportation to the Dominican Republic in November 2013.
After his deportation, Benavides illegally reentered the U.S. A significant turning point occurred on March 6, 2026, when agents from Homeland Security Investigations stopped a vehicle in West Hartford. Benavides, identified as the driver, was apprehended during this operation.
During his arrest, he was also found to possess a false identification document. Following his capture, he has remained in custody. Benavides pleaded guilty to the unlawful reentry charge on June 30.
As a result of the ongoing drug investigation and his previous convictions, officials are monitoring the implications of events surrounding Benavides’s arrest and reentry into the United States.
