Guatemalan Alien Indicted for Illegal Reentry and Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Alien

Pensacola, Florida - Selvin J. Tello-Perez, 24, of Guatemala, was indicted by a federal grand jury charging him with illegal reentry by a removed alien and possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today.

Tello-Perez appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho in Pensacola, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for June 15, 2026, at 8:30 am, before District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.

If convicted, Tello-Perez faces up to 15 years' imprisonment for possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and up to two years' imprisonment for illegal reentry.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Enforcement's Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, human and drug trafficking.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation's principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of FloridaLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. website. For more information about the United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.