PORTLAND, Ore.—A Mexican national unlawfully residing in the United States made his first appearance in federal court last Thursday after being removed to Mexico in June 2018.
Manuel Cruz-Ramirez, 38, has been charged by criminal complaint with illegal reentry. He was detained in this federal case, pending further court proceedings.
Cruz-Ramirez was released on bail after being charged in Marion County, Oregon, in an amended indictment that includes rape in the first degree, sodomy in the first degree, and purchasing sex with a minor.
According to court documents, on February 3, 2026, Cruz-Ramirez was apprehended when a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer encountered him at a Portland International Airport terminal checkpoint. Cruz-Ramirez presented a Mexico passport in the name of an alias. The TSA officer notified Customs and Border Protection after the passport did not return full data. Customs and Border Protection used fingerprints to identify Cruz-Ramirez. A review of his immigration file and relevant electronic databases indicated that Cruz-Ramirez entered the United States on June 25, 2018, was placed in expedited removal proceedings on June 26, 2018, and was removed to Mexico on June 28, 2018.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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