PHILADELPHIA (TNND) — A Dominican woman previously deported for fentanyl trafficking was seen in tears as federal officers arrested her in Philadelphia last week.

Virginia Basora-Gonzalez of the Dominican Republic was arrested during a joint operation on March 12, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.

This was not Basora-Gonzalez's first encounter with law enforcement. In 2020, she was deported to the Dominican Republic after pleading guilty to attempted possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and aiding and abetting. She had been sentenced to 12 months and one day of confinement, along with four years of supervised release, but was removed from the U.S. before serving her sentence.

ICE officials confirmed that Basora-Gonzalez illegally re-entered the United States at an undisclosed time.

According to an affidavit obtained by the Daily Mail, authorities learned of her return when a confidential informant reported her presence on March 7, 2025.

She was taken into custody outside La Tierra Del Caribe Restaurant in North Philadelphia, where she reportedly worked as a cook.

Photographs released by ICE show her in handcuffs, visibly emotional during her arrest.

"The apprehension of Virginia Basora-Gonzalez demonstrates our commitment to protecting our communities from criminal aliens who engage in serious illegal activities that pose a threat to public safety," said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Philadelphia acting Field Office Director Brian McShane.

Authorities confirmed her identity using the FBI fingerprint database. On the day of her arrest, ICE issued Basora-Gonzalez a notice of intent to reinstate her prior removal order. She was then turned over to the U.S. Marshals Service following a federal arrest warrant and criminal complaint issued by a U.S. magistrate judge.

Basora-Gonzalez will remain in federal custody pending charges for illegal reentry after deportation in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.