BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — An Israeli man has been turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement after he was found hiding under luggage in the back of a vehicle, trying to cross the Rainbow Bridge.
Elazar Wigdorowitz, 33, pleaded guilty to improper entry by an alien and was sentenced to time served.
According to investigators, on January 8, 2026, Israel Enden, 46, told officers at the Rainbow Bridge Port of Entry that he was traveling to New York City to visit friends and family. Enden was referred to a secondary inspection, where officers found Wigdorowitz underneath luggage in the back of the vehicle.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Wigdorowitz had obtained a visa in 2010, but it was revoked in 2017 due to his criminal history in Israel. He was refused a visa again in 2023.
Prosecutors say Wigdorowitz told investigators he wanted to visit his rabbi’s grave in the United States.
The US Attorney's Office did not say if Enden, the driver, was also charged.
