Fourteen New Indictments Returned, Four Guilty Pleas Entered for Immigration Offenses in May

Tallahassee, Pensacola and Gainesville - Today, United States Attorney John P. Heekin announced that 14 previously deported illegal aliens have been separately indicted by a federal grand jury for illegal reentry into the United States in the month of May.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: "Compliance with our nation's immigration laws is not optional. We welcome all legal immigrants who come here the right way and respect our laws, but for those who think they can violate our laws with impunity my office will swiftly deliver a dose of reality with aggressive prosecutions, federal prison sentences, and deportations. The citizens of the Northern District of Florida have a right to expect their federal government to secure our borders and enforce our nation's laws, and I intend to fulfill that duty as long as I serve as the United States Attorney."

According to court records, the 14 illegal aliens indicted in the month of May include:

• Cirilo Perez-Michua, 38, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Walton County in April 2026, after previously being deported three times in 2009, once in 2024 and again in 2025. Trial is scheduled for August 3, 2026, in Pensacola, Florida, before District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
• Juan Contreras-Vilches, 47, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Okaloosa County in May 2026, after previously being deported twice in 2017, twice in 2018 and once in 2019. The defendant pleaded guilty on June 5, 2026, and sentencing is scheduled for June 18, 2026, in Pensacola, Florida, before District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
• Pascual Hernandez-Shilon, 56, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Walton County in April 2026, after previously being deported twice in 2011 and twice in 2019. Trial is scheduled for July 20, 2026, in Pensacola, Florida, before District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
• Joel Gomez Soto, 33, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Okaloosa County in January 2026, after previously being deported in 2015 and 2017. Trial is scheduled for July 20, 2026, in Pensacola, Florida, before District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
• Marco Antonio Montes-Hernandez, 36, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Bay County in March 2026, after previously being deported in 2008 and 2018. Trial is scheduled for August 3, 2026, in Tallahassee, Florida, before District Court Judge Mark E. Walker.
• Pablo Gomez-Sarmiento, 25, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Alachua County in February 2025, after previously being deported in 2020. Trial is scheduled for July 22, 2026, in Gainesville, Florida, before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor.
• Jose Barahona-Paz, 26, of Honduras, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Walton County in April 2026, after previously being deported in 2019. Trial is scheduled for July 20, 2026, in Pensacola, Florida, before District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
• Esteban Rigoberto Hernandez-Muniz, 54, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Santa Rosa County in April 2026, after previously being deported in 2019. The defendant pleaded guilty on June 4, 2026, and sentencing is scheduled for June 18, 2026, in Pensacola, Florida, before District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
• Laura Santiago-Garfias, 27, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Okaloosa County in April 2026, after previously being deported in 2019 and 2020. Trial is scheduled for August 3, 2026, in Pensacola, Florida, before District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
• Iran Gomez-Aguilera, 43, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Okaloosa County in May 2026, after previously being deported in 2019. The defendant pleaded guilty on June 4, 2026, and sentencing is scheduled for June 18, 2026, in Pensacola, Florida, before District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
• Victor Lopez, 30, of Guatemala, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Okaloosa County in May 2026, after previously being deported in 2017. Trial is scheduled for July 20, 2026, in Pensacola, Florida, before District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
• Juan Molina-Hernandez, 36, of Honduras, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Okaloosa County in May 2026, after previously being deported in 2023. The defendant pleaded guilty on May 26, 2026, and sentencing is scheduled for June 18, 2026, in Pensacola, Florida, before District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
• Jose Patzan-Camey, 28, of Guatemala, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Santa Rosa County in April 2026, after previously being deported in 2018. Trial is scheduled for August 3, 2026, in Pensacola, Florida, before District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
• Andres Perez-Hernandez, 46, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Bay County in May 2026, after previously being deported in 2012. Trial is scheduled for July 20, 2026, in Tallahassee, Florida, before District Court Judge Mark E. Walker.

The penalty for illegally reentering the United States after deportation is a maximum of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Gomez Soto faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine pursuant to allegations of prior convictions qualifying for an increased maximum sentence.

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 in a court of law.

The cases involved investigations by Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations with the assistance of the Florida Highway Patrol, the Walton County Sheriff's Office, the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office, the Shalimar Police Department, the Panama City Beach Police Department, and the Alachua County Sheriff's Office.

Assistant United States Attorneys Meredith L. Steer, Alicia H. Forbes, Jeffrey M. Tharp, Jessica S. Etherton, Walter E. Narramore, Thomas S.P. Geeker, Brooke Lindsay, Joseph A. Ravelo, and Tyler Fleming are prosecuting the cases.

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.

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 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.