Yunior Benavides, 50, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States after being deported, according to U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, David Sullivan. The sentencing took place on Thursday before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford.
Benavides was previously convicted in 2009 for his involvement in a narcotics distribution conspiracy in the Hartford area. He pleaded guilty to federal charges and received a 60-month prison sentence before being deported to the Dominican Republic in November 2013.
Following his deportation, Benavides unlawfully returned to the U.S. In connection with a drug trafficking investigation, Homeland Security Investigations agents apprehended him on March 6, 2026, after stopping a vehicle in West Hartford. During this encounter, Benavides was identified as being unlawfully present in the country.
Sullivan noted that Benavides also possessed a false identification document at the time of his arrest. He has remained in custody since then and pleaded guilty to the charge of unlawful reentry on June 30.
