Repeat Criminal Alien from Guatemala Sentenced to Federal Prison for Third Illegal Reentry Conviction

Pensacola, Florida - Jose Francisco Santizo-Perez, also known as "Jose Mynor Castillo Lazaro," 42, of Guatemala, was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to illegal reentry by a removed alien. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: "This criminal illegal alien has clearly not gotten the message that violating our nation's immigration laws will not be tolerated, so now he will spend more than a year in federal prison before being deported once again. We are a nation of laws, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute anyone who dares to violate those laws in the Northern District of Florida."

Court documents reflect that the defendant has been deported from the United States four times, and had twice been convicted of illegal reentry by a removed alien in 2018 in this district and again in 2020 in the Western District of Texas. After his most recent deportation in 2021, he illegally returned to the United States and was found in Okaloosa County, Florida, in January 2026.

"This criminal illegal alien is a repeat offender who has been deported four times and twice convicted for illegal reentry and continues to demonstrate his contempt for the laws of the United States," said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Miami acting Field Office Director Kelei Walker. "This conviction highlights the persistent issues associated with criminal illegal aliens who continually break immigration laws. The 16-month federal prison sentence demonstrates ICE's dedication to upholding the law and safeguarding our communities from individuals who ignore the legal process."

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement's Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes prosecuted the case.

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.