Vermont Arrest: Man Found with Firearm and Ammo After Illegally Entering U.S.
Julio Cesar Romero-Paredes, a 46-year-old man from Venezuela, has been charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm as an individual illegally present in the United States, as well as for illegal reentry after previously being deported, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont.
The charges stem from an incident on November 7, 2024, around 12:50 a.m., when Romero-Paredes, driving a distinctive motorcycle, illegally entered the U.S. by bypassing barriers near the Haskell Library in Derby Line, Vermont. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers from nearby ports of entry assisted in tracking the motorcycle as it traveled southbound on Interstate 91.
CBP officers conducted a traffic stop near Exit 28 on Interstate 91 and arrested Romero-Paredes, who was operating a Georgia-registered motorcycle. During an inventory search of the motorcycle and its bags, officers discovered a fully loaded Walther Model P22 .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol with one round in the chamber, five magazines containing approximately 50 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition, two Glock magazines with around 30 rounds of 9mm ammunition, and a suspected suppressor.
Romero-Paredes’ immigration records show that he initially entered the U.S. in 2005 on a visitor’s visa. However, he was ordered removed from the country by an immigration judge in Dallas, Texas, on March 18, 2022.
The complaint only includes allegations, and Romero-Paredes is presumed innocent until proven guilty. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison for the firearm charge and up to two years for the immigration charge.
