MAYOR MAMDANI LAUNCHES MAJOR POTHOLE BLITZ FOLLOWING RECORD-SETTING WINTER WEATHER

 

More than 80 NYC DOT crews will fill thousands of potholes across all five boroughs in one day

Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn announced a citywide pothole repair blitz following a historic winter marked by record snowfall and sustained cold temperatures. 

Beginning at 6 a.m. this Saturday, more than 80 NYC DOT crews will be deployed across city streets and highways in all five boroughs. The City expects to fill thousands of potholes in a single day, with additional repair blitzes planned in the weeks ahead. 

Since Jan. 1, NYC DOT has repaired more than 50,000 potholes, maintaining a response time of just over two days. More than 10,000 potholes have been filled in the past week alone. The accelerated repair effort coincides with the City’s annual road resurfacing season, which begins this month and includes full curb-to-curb repaving projects. 

NYC DOT plans to resurface 1,150 lane miles of roadway this year. New York City is also one of the few cities in the country that operates its own asphalt plants, allowing crews to respond quickly to road damage and complete repairs efficiently. 

“While most New Yorkers are still asleep, 80 DOT crews will take to the streets to repair potholes in a five-borough blitz,” said Mayor Mamdani. “In a single day, they'll fill thousands of potholes that pop up every year as spring arrives and our city streets begin to thaw. Safe, accessible streets are a basic promise of city government, and after a historically brutal winter, I'm incredibly grateful to the DOT teams who are not wasting a moment of time in delivering the street improvements we need.” 

“New Yorkers have braved a rough winter, and we can see and feel the resulting potholes from wear-and-tear on our roads,” said Commissioner Flynn. “That’s why the men and women of NYC DOT are doubling down on repair efforts in recent weeks and will step it up this weekend with a five-borough, 80-crew blitz. We appreciate New Yorkers’ patience on the roads as we complete this critical work and encourage the public to report road defects to 311.” 

Pothole season begins in New York City around the spring, when more potholes form on our roadways because of high-moisture, winter weather conditions and the cycle of freezing and thawing conditions. 

Drivers should expect travel delays Saturday. New Yorkers should report any potholes they come across to NYC311 to be addressed as soon as possible.  

VCJC News & Notes 3/13/2026

 

Van Cortlandt Jewish Center

News and Notes

Here's this week's edition of the VCJC News and Notes email. We hope you enjoy it and find it useful!

Lots of things this week, including our Finding Your Haven class, Purim greetings, belated Tu b’Shevat kiddush, and the MLK park cleanup.  Read all the way through!

Reminders

1. Shabbos schedule
   
   
   Shabbos information is, as always, available on our website, both in the information sidebar and the events calendar.
   Here are the times you need:  
   Shabbos Candles Friday 3/13/26 @ 6:42 pm
   Shabbos Ends Saturday 3/14/26 @ 7:46 pm

   If you require an aliyah or would like to lead services, read from the torah or haftorah please speak to one of the gabbaim.

   
   

   Come join us for services and stay to enjoy the kiddush and the company.
   

2. About our new kiddushim
   For the past several weeks, the VCJC has upgraded its kiddush after Shabbos services. Kiddush now takes place in the ballroom. There is a greater variety of food, which can be enjoyed while seated at covered tables. Our aim is to offer a more enjoyable and meaningful experience, and to encourage conversation and interaction among attendees. This is an evolving effort. It has received very positive reviews so far; we’d love to have your opinion as well. Please join us for services and kiddush, and let us know what you think!
   
   

3. The VCJC Chavurah

   The VCJC Chavurah will be meeting one night during the week to continue learning Tractate Berachot together.  Anyone who is interested in learning torah together with fellow members of our community is welcome to join us.  
   If you are interested in learning torah with a group of fellow members of your community, but want more details, contact the VCJC office at 718-884-6105 or info@vcjewishcenter.org, or speak to Stuart Harris or Matthew Hartstein after davening on Shabbat morning.
   
   

4. Shabbos parsha

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei 5786 / פָּרָשַׁת וַיַּקְהֵל־פְקוּדֵי

   14 March 2026 / 25 Adar 5786

   Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei is the 22nd and 23rd weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading.

   Torah Portion: Exodus 35:1-40:38, 12:1-20

   Vayakhel (“He Assembled”) opens as God commands the Israelites to observe the Sabbath. Moses asks for material donations for the building of the Mishkan (Tabernacle), and the people donate. A group of artisans designated by God begin building the Mishkan and its vessels. Pekudei (“Accountings Of”) is the final Torah reading in the Book of Exodus. It describes the making of priestly garments worn in the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and the completion of its construction. At God’s command, Moses erects the Mishkan and puts its vessels in place, and God's presence fills the Mishkan. [1]

   
   

   
   

5. You can do it! Give VCJC a boost!  Leave a (positive) review for us on Google
   -->You can do this!  We know you can! YES, YOU!

   The VCJC is working to build and grow for its next century in Van Cortlandt Village.  If you have had a good experience with us or recognize our value to the community, please consider telling the world about it.  Go to our Google Business Profile and leave a review.  Thanks!

Save your place now for March 15 for a Master Class "Finding a Haven Within" NOTE THE DATE HAS CHANGED A SECOND TIME!

Sunday March 15, 12 PM

RSVP By 3/11/26: call the office (718) 884-6105 or email info@vcjewishcenter.org

Suggested fee is $15.00. If you have a mat, bring it. If not, we have a few.

In the swiftly moving, ever-changing world we live in today, you can find a quiet, safe, and secure haven in which there is peace, deep relaxation, and inner joy. This is what we offer you in an easy yoga-based stretching, soft meditation, and guided, systematic deep relaxation class. The results can be more effective and dramatic than you might expect. Students have had a profound effect on the increased level of their grades.  

It is based on Prof. Barbara Kitai's 37 years of teaching this system to college academics, corporate executives, athletes, students, children, and adults of all backgrounds.

The class consists of an introduction explaining the purpose and theory, 15 minutes of easy yoga-based stretching, and a cool down, 15 minutes of breathing techniques, meditation, 20 minutes of excellent guided relaxation throughout the body & mind, and 10-15 minutes  (time allowing) for a creative writing of self-reflection and awareness.

See our blog post.

Please help with information about buildings

As part of rebuilding the membership and congregation, the Board of Trustees would like your help. There are a lot of either new or renovated buildings being put up in our catchment area. We would like to seek the cooperation of the owners / developers of those properties in publicizing these opportunities to live near an orthodox synagogue.  If you are aware of any of these buildings, please provide what information you can about them.  This could include the address, any contact information that might be posted, and any information about the building itself (size, type, etc.). Additionally, if you are aware of vacancies in existing buildings or of houses for sale, please let us know about that as well.

3rd annual Community Cleanup Day for MLK Day

This event, for which the VCJC is an acknowledged collaborator, has now been scheduled for March 29.  See the poster below. Registration link

Our mailing address is:
Van Cortlandt Jewish Center
3880 Sedgwick Ave
Bronx, NY 10463

Governor Hochul Announces Four Major Events at Jones Beach State Park Commemorating the 250th Anniversary of America’s Founding

Long Island State Parks will be Host to Dozens of Semiquincentennial Events All Year Long

I LOVE NY Website Outlines Commemorations Statewide Throughout 2026

Governor Kathy Hochul announced signature events to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States will take place over the Memorial Day and July Fourth weekends at Jones Beach State Park. The July Fourth weekend celebration will feature the United States Navy Blue Angels as part of the FourLeaf Air Show and Fireworks: Celebrating America250. These events launch a series of 250th themed programs hosted by State Parks throughout the year on Long Island, which was the scene of numerous Revolutionary battles and skirmishes between Patriot and British forces.

“The founding of America250 years ago cannot be told without including New York's pivotal role in the American Revolution," Governor Hochul said. "That history can be found across our state, from Long Island all the way to Niagara and the Great Lakes, the Hudson and Mohawk valleys, the Capital Region and the North Country. We’re looking forward to an incredible range of programs at State Parks on Long Island throughout the year. And our I LOVE NY website makes it easy to find these as well as many other sites and programs, and learn more about both the familiar and unknown people who helped shape our democracy.”

The Memorial Day weekend events at Jones Beach will include:

• A first-ever drone show with patriotic themes over the Atlantic Ocean in front of the Central Mall at Jones Beach State Park
• Historic reenactors portraying the four signers of the Declaration of Independence from New York: Philip Livingston, Lewis Morris, William Floyd, and Francis Lewis
• Revolutionary War reenactor encampments from the all-Black 1st Rhode Island Regiment and the 5th New York Regiment
• Additional reenactors portraying George Washington on horseback, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, as well as Benjamin Tallmadge and Robert Townsend (both Long Island residents and businesspeople who were key members of Washington’s Culper Spy Ring)
• Period music with fife and drum band
• Demonstrations of Colonial-era cooking
• History-themed family games
• Inflatable play areas to be enjoyed by children

Additionally, on the July Fourth weekend, Jones Beach State Park will host the FourLeaf Air Show and Fireworks: Celebrating America250. Fireworks are scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m. on the Fourth, with the annual air show set for July 5 and 6. Headliners are the United States Navy Blue Angels, joined by international military jet teams, including the Canadian Snowbirds. Other performances will include the United States Army Golden Knights, United States Navy F-35C Lightning II Demo Team, Australian professional aerobatic and air race pilot Aarron Deliu, American Air Power Museum Warbirds, Farmingdale State College Aviation, 105th Airlift Wing, and NY Air National Guard C-17 Globemaster III Flyover.

I LOVE NY will continue to promote commemorative events and historic locations, and share inspiration guides for the 250th Anniversary throughout the year. For updates to the America250 commemorative events calendar, as well as ideas for discovering some of the state’s most storied destinations, visit iloveny.com/america250.

Revisit the Revolution at these upcoming monthly programs on Long Island. For the events listed, reservations are required and will be taken two weeks prior to the program. To register, please visit Eventbrite.com and search by program title or #NatureEdventure. For questions, please call (631) 581-1072.

• March 15, 10:30 AM – 12 PM | Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve: Colonial Games - Test your coordination with a ball and cup. How far can you roll a hoop? Take a journey to the past and visit Colonial America!
• March 21, 11 AM – 12 PM | Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center: The Science of Spying - Join an educator to explore a different topic in science, technology, engineering, art, or mathematics through experiments, art projects, and more. Learn about the Culper Spy Ring through a hands-on activity.
• March 28, 10:30 AM – 12 PM | Nissequogue River State Park: Revolutionary Remedies: The Women Who Healed a Nation - Explore the overlooked medical work of women during the American Revolution. We’ll highlight the nurses, caregivers, Indigenous healers, and enslaved African women whose herbal knowledge, improvised remedies, and daily labor sustained the Continental Army. Through a hands-on activity, visitors will discover how ordinary women used extraordinary ingenuity to keep a nation alive.
• March 29, 10:30 AM – 12 PM | Caleb Smith State Park Preserve: Flag Code of the Revolution - Explore how our flag has evolved over the past 250 years and how flag code was useful communication during the Revolutionary War. Go on a guided hike to decode a spy letter using flag code and create a flag of your own to take home.
• April 8, 1 – 2:30 PM | Caleb Smith State Park Preserve: Spy Through Parks - Become a code breaker like Washington’s spies! Learn how the Culper Spy Ring used codes during the American Revolution, then try to crack the secret codes for real!
• April 11, 10 AM – 12 PM | Hallock State Park Preserve: Hike Through History - Go on a hike through Long Island’s role in Revolutionary History in a year-long series highlighting how local sites played a role during the American Revolution.
• April 12, 1:30 – 3 PM | Connetquot River State Park Preserve: Recognizing Women’s Right To Vote in NY State - On November 6, 1917, women won the right to vote in NY State. Join this special America250 program to hear Town of Islip Historian George Munkenbeck share the history of local Long Island suffragists. Also on display will be a travelling exhibit provided by the Long Island Library Resources Council.
• May 30, 10 AM – 12 PM | Belmont Lake State Park: Colonial Cooking - Learn how colonialists grew and cooked their food as well as popular recipes from this time. Watch as Diane Schwindt from the Ketcham Inn cooks food over an open-air hearth and then sample items that she cooked! 40 people max.
• June 6, 10 AM – 12 PM | Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve: Hike Through History - Go on a hike through Long Island’s role in Revolutionary History in a year-long series highlighting how local sites played a role during the American Revolution.
• June 14, 10:30 AM – 12 PM | Caleb Smith State Park Preserve: Flag Code of the Revolution - Explore how our flag has evolved over the past 250 years, and how flag code was useful communication during the Revolutionary War. Go on a guided hike to decode a spy letter using flag code and create a flag of your own to take home.
• June 20, 11 AM – 12:30 PM | Hempstead Lake State Park: Spy Through Parks - Become a code breaker like Washington’s spies! Learn how the Culper Spy Ring used codes during the American Revolution, then try to crack the secret codes for real!
• August 2, 1 – 3 PM | Connetquot River State Park Preserve: He Dared To Sign: William Floyd - Long Islander William Floyd dared to sign the Declaration of Independence for New York in 1776. In doing so he risked his life, family and fortunes. But he didn’t sign on July 4th! Most of the men signed today, August 2, 250 years ago! This talk will cover Floyd’s life and times and the actual signing of the Declaration, along with 3 other New Yorkers.
• August 15, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM | Caleb Smith State Park Preserve: Hike Through History - Go on a hike through Long Island’s role in Revolutionary History in a year-long series highlighting how local sites played a role during the American Revolution.
• September 4, 6 PM – 8 PM | Connetquot River State Park Preserve: Spy Through Parks - Become a code breaker like Washington’s spies! Learn how the Culper Spy Ring used codes during the American Revolution, then try to crack the secret codes for real!
• October 4, 10 AM – 12 PM | Sunken Meadow State Park: Hike Through History - Go on a hike through Long Island’s role in Revolutionary History in a year-long series highlighting how local sites played a role during the American Revolution.
• October 17, 1 – 3 PM | Nissequogue River State Park Preserve: Unfinished Revolutions: First Nations - The American Revolution itself was imperfect and many Native Americans did not benefit from its ideals of liberty and freedom. Learn more about the ongoing struggle of New York’s Indigenous communities to achieve the ideals of the Revolution from author Travis Bowman and Montaukett Executive Director Sandi Brewster-Walker.
• November 14, 10:30 AM – 12 PM | Connetquot River State Park Preserve: Revolutionary Remedies: The Women Who Healed a Nation - Explore the overlooked medical work of women during the American Revolution. We’ll highlight the nurses, caregivers, Indigenous healers, and enslaved African women whose herbal knowledge, improvised remedies, and daily labor sustained the Continental Army. Through a hands-on activity, visitors will discover how ordinary women used extraordinary ingenuity to keep a nation alive.

The Long Island initiatives are supported in part by a $125,000 grant from the State 250th Commemoration Commission. More information on the commission can be found here.

Revisit the Revolution at New York State Historic Sites and Parks

In recognition of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, OPRHP’s state historic sites and parks are hosting special exhibitions, offering dynamic programs, showcasing preservation projects, and sharing new digital resources for New York residents and tourists to discover. Revisit the Revolution explores New York’s influential role in the American Revolution and its lasting impact for the state and the nation. Revisit the Revolution is an initiative of the New York State Division for Historic Preservation and is supported in part by the New York State 250th Commemoration Commission. Learn more about Revisit the Revolution.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, and welcomes over 86 million visitors annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, visit parks.ny.gov, download the free NY State Parks Explorer app or call (518) 474-0456. Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, the OPRHP Blog or via the OPRHP Newsroom. 

Arizona Cardiology Group to Pay $4.75M to Resolve Allegations of Unnecessary Vein Ablations

 

Tri-City Cardiology, P.C., a physician group based in the metro area of Phoenix, Arizona, and three individual physicians, have agreed to pay $4.75 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by performing medically unnecessary vein ablations.

“Physicians should not prioritize profit over patient needs,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Medicare and other federal programs pay only for medical care that meets accepted standards, and the falsification of medical records undermines efforts to assess whether medical care was appropriate.”

“Paying for unnecessary medical procedures reduces federal programs’ capacity to pay for truly necessary procedures,” said Timothy Courchaine, United States Attorney for the District of Arizona. “When medical providers do not respect the difference between the two and bill in the interest of their own bottom line instead of their patients, the United States Attorney’s Office has pursued and will continue to pursue appropriate recoveries to protect taxpayer funds.”   

The civil settlement announced resolves allegations that, from January 1, 2017, to April 27, 2022, Dr. Jaskamal Kahlon, Dr. Joshua D. Cohen, and Dr. M. Joshua Berkowitz knowingly performed ablations on perforator veins that did not qualify for treatment under accepted standards of medical practice. Perforator veins are small veins that connect deep and superficial leg veins and require treatment only in certain circumstances. The United States contends that Tri-City and the physicians acted knowingly in incorrectly measuring or documenting in medical records the duration of outward blood flow, the diameter of veins, patient symptoms, and conservative therapy measures, which gave the appearance that the ablations met accepted medical standards and were justified.

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, with assistance from HHS-OIG.

The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

The matter was handled by Senior Trial Counsel Nicholas C. Perros of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lon Leavitt of the District of Arizona.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. 

U.S. Attorney’s Office And FBI Continue Their Fight Against Sex Trafficking In New York – Pearl River Man And Woman Charged

 

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced the arrest of TYRON DUMEL, a/k/a “Boogie,” and NICOLE DUMEL in connection with a sex trafficking operation based in Rockland County, New York.  TYRON DUMEL and NICOLE DUMEL were arrested March 11, 2026, and presented in White Plains federal court on Thursday, March 12, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Victoria Reznik.  TYRON DUMEL was ordered detained, and NICOLE DUMEL was released on bond. 

“The message from New York families is clear: stop the sex trafficking,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “It is corroding our communities.  Since August 2025, the defendants have allegedly conspired to traffic at least 10 women to engage in commercial sex.  In furtherance of that operation, Tyron Dumel allegedly exerted ruthless control over sex trafficking victims through lies, intimidation, violence, and psychological abuse, while he and Nicole Dumel allegedly reaped thousands of dollars in profits.  This kind of conduct should shock the conscience of every New Yorker, and it will not be tolerated.  This Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to bringing the perpetrators of such crimes to justice.” 

“These defendants allegedly operated a human trafficking network in which Tyron Dumel forced victims to engage in sexual acts for profit through physical and psychological coercion, while Nicole Dumel collected their illicit proceeds,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr.  ‘The Dumels allegedly exploited and abused nearly a dozen women across the country to generate a twisted cash flow.  The FBI will target human traffickers who abuse and torment victims for personal enrichment.”

As alleged in the Indictment:[1]

From at least in or about August 2025 through at least in or about February 2026, TYRON DUMEL and NICOLE DUMEL conspired to traffic women to engage in prostitution (the “DUMEL Trafficking Operation”). TYRON DUMEL advertised the DUMEL Trafficking Operation on a popular social media platform, which he used to recruit women to engage in commercial sex.  As part of the DUMEL Trafficking Operation, and in furtherance thereof, TYRON DUMEL transported at least ten women to locations in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Arizona, Tennessee, and Michigan, among other places, to engage, at his direction and under his supervision, in commercial sex.

TYRON DUMEL used means of force, fraud, and coercion to cause a victim (“Victim-1”) and others to engage in commercial sex acts.  He physically assaulted Victim-1 and others, threatened to cause physical harm to Victim-1 and others, sprayed Victim-1 and others with pepper spray, forced Victim-1 and others to engage in sexual intercourse with him, required Victim-1 and others to tattoo their bodies with his personal “brand,” used his control of the proceeds of his sex trafficking operation to coerce Victim-1 and others to accede to his demands by withholding, and threatening to withhold, food, and lied to Victim-1 and others concerning the whereabouts of the proceeds of the DUMEL Trafficking Operation.

Also as part of the DUMEL Trafficking Operation, and in furtherance thereof, NICOLE DUMEL agreed, among other things, to (i) set up an online account that TYRON DUMEL used to post commercial sex advertisements; (ii) edit digital photographs of at least one female commercial sex worker for the purpose of creating commercial sex advertisements; and (iii) receive electronic funds transfers from purchasers of commercial sex to accounts controlled by NICOLE DUMEL and route such funds to accounts controlled by NICOLE DUMEL and TYRON DUMEL.  From in or about August 2025 through in or about February 2026, NICOLE DUMEL received thousands of dollars in proceeds from commercial sex acts conducted as part of the DUMEL Trafficking Operation.

TYRON DUMEL, 28, is charged with one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, one count of transportation for purposes of prostitution, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to transport individuals for purposes of prostitution, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. 

NICOLE DUMEL, 30, is charged with one count of conspiracy to transport individuals for purposes of prostitution, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. 

The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI New York Office Westchester Safe Streets Task Force, Greenburgh Police Department, Clarkstown Police Department, White Plains Police Department, and Orangetown Police Department.

The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake Sidransky is in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the Indictment and the descriptions of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

State Senator Julia Salazar - Free Tax Clinic on March 19

 

Four-Time Deported Criminal Illegal Alien with 15 Prior Charges Arrested After Shoving 83-Year-Old Veteran and Another Bystander onto New York City Subway Tracks

 

DHS Calls Upon Sanctuary New York to Honor Detainer Against Career Criminal Illegal Alien

Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has requested New York authorities not release Bairon Posada-Herandez, a four-time deported illegal alien from Honduras with a lengthy criminal history who was arrested after allegedly shoving two men onto the New York City subway tracks on Sunday, March 8. One of the victims, a 30-year-old man, reportedly is in stable condition while the other, an 83-year-old Air Force veteran, remains in critical condition.

“Bairon Posada-Herandez is a serial criminal, and four-time deported illegal alien from Honduras who should never have been able to walk our streets and harm innocent Americans,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “We are praying for the victims and their families. DHS is calling upon New York sanctuary politicians to commit to this ICE detainer and not release this heinous criminal back into New York communities.”

Bairon Alexander Posada-Hernandez  

Posada-Hernandez was arrested for attempted murder on March 10, 2026. That same day, ICE placed a detainer on the Honduran national.   

Posada-Hernandez first entered the country on January 2, 2008, and has been deported four different times, most recently in 2020. He entered illegally a fifth time at an unknown date and location. 

The suspect has a lengthy criminal history, including 15 prior charges such as simple assault, domestic violence, obstruction of police, possession of a weapon, drug possession, and aggravated assault. 

In February, DHS condemned New York City’s Mayor Zohran Mamdani for signing an Executive Order turning New York City into a shield for violent criminal illegal aliens to reoffend and create more innocent victims.  

Mamdani’s action came just one week after Governor Kathy Hochul’s legislative proposal to bar local police departments from partnering and cooperating with ICE law enforcement.  

In February, there were more than 7,110 aliens in custody across the state of New York with an active detainer. The crimes of these aliens include 148 homicides, 717 assaults, 134 burglaries, 106 robberies, 235 dangerous drugs offenses, 152 weapons offenses, and 260 sexual predatory offenses.  

Dominican National Sentenced to More Than Ten Years for Unlawful Reentry into the US and for Trafficking Fentanyl and Meth

 

A Dominican man was sentenced today in federal court for illegally reentering the United States and drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.

Robely Eladio De Jesus Guerrero, 38, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Landya B. McCafferty to 125 months in federal prison and 5 years of supervised release.  In September 2025, De Jesus Guerrero pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien and one count of distribution of a controlled substance, specifically methamphetamine. 

“The defendant is a repeat offender who entered the country illegally and distributed dangerous drugs in our state,” said U.S. Attorney Creegan. “Today’s sentence reflects the serious threat posed by those who deal in dangerous drugs like methamphetamine and fentanyl, and the serious sanction that must follow.” 

“This sentencing sends a clear message to those who think they can violate our borders and poison our communities with deadly drugs,” said Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, New England Field Division “By trafficking both fentanyl and methamphetamine, this individual showed a blatant disregard for human life and the laws of this country. This sentence ensures that a repeat offender is removed from our streets and held accountable for the harm he sought to inflict on New England families. The DEA, alongside our federal and local partners, will never waver in our mission to dismantle the networks that bring these lethal substances into our neighborhoods.”

According to the court documents and statements made in court, in 2020 and 2021, De Jesus Guerrero, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was convicted of identity theft and a child sex offense in Massachusetts. In November 2021, ICE deported him to the Dominican Republic. The fingerprints on De Jesus Guerrero’s deportation documents match the prints taken when he was arrested in Massachusetts. 

After his deportation, De Jesus Guerrero reentered the United Sates and sold fentanyl and methamphetamine to a DEA cooperating source. Between August and September 2024, a DEA cooperating source negotiated the sale of fentanyl and methamphetamine from De Jesus Guerrero. Through two sales in August, De Jesus Guerrero sold the cooperator approximately 120 grams of Fentanyl. In September, De Jesus Guerrero sold the cooperating source approximately one pound of methamphetamine.

The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Hunter prosecuted the case.  

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).