Ecuadorian Man Charged with Transporting Aliens

Burlington, Vermont - The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont stated that Manuel Rolando Meza-Cambo, 34, of Los Rios Province, Ecuador, has been charged by criminal complaint with transporting illegal aliens.

On April 21, 2025, Meza-Cambo appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered that Meza-Cambo be detained during the pendency of this matter.

According to court records, Meza-Cambo attempted to pick-up four illegal aliens along Richford Road in Richford, Vermont, in the early morning hours of April 19, 2025. A member of the United States Border Patrol spotted Meza-Cambo's minivan before he could pick up the aliens and followed the minivan. After the minivan stopped in the middle of road, investigating Border Patrol Agents then found two Mexican citizens and two Venezuelan citizens near the side of the road. These four individuals are being prosecuted separately for illegal entry to the United States.

The United States Attorney's Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Meza-Cambo is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Meza-Cambo faces up to 5 years of imprisonment 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 Border Patrol.

The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Joshua L. Banker. Meza-Cambo is represented by the Federal Public Defenders Office.

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).