Five individuals have been sentenced for illegally entering the United States after previously being deported, according to an April 14 announcement from federal authorities. The cases, which are unrelated, involve citizens of Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and Venezuela who were found in various locations across Ohio.
The sentencing underscores ongoing efforts by law enforcement to address unauthorized re-entry into the country. Upon completion of their sentences, all defendants will be subject to a detainer from United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and transferred to administrative immigration custody for removal.
According to the statement, Francisco Constancio-Mariscal, a 38-year-old citizen of Mexico; Oscar Mendoza, a 52-year-old citizen of Honduras; Guillermo Gutierrez-Rivas, a 36-year-old citizen of Mexico; and Marcos Alberto Bardales-Lopez, a 27-year-old citizen of Honduras each received sentences of time served. Alvaro Veliz Gonzalez, a 35-year-old citizen of Guatemala who had been removed from the U.S. on at least four previous occasions—the most recent being October 11, 2021—was sentenced to ten months in prison. Jhofran Andres Laya-Gutierrez, a 29-year-old Venezuelan national who pleaded guilty to assaulting or impeding a federal officer as well as falsification charges and misuse of a Social Security number, was sentenced to thirty-six months in prison.
The U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station conducted investigations leading up to these prosecutions. Assistant United States Attorneys Ava Rotell Dustin, Robert Melching, Sara Al-Sorghali, Alissa Sterling and Matthew Simko handled prosecution duties for the Northern District of Ohio.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative described as marshaling “the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration,” eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations entirely and protect communities from violent crime perpetrators.
