United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana

04/17/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/17/2026 21:29

Guatemalan Illegal Alien and Convicted Felon Sentenced To 24 Months Imprisonment For Illegal Re-entry Offense

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - United States Attorney David I. Courcelle announced today that United States District Court Judge Brandon S. Long sentenced FEDERICO MENDEZ-FRANCISCO a/k/a "JORGE SANTOS ARROYO," a/k/a "JORGE A. GORDILLO," a/k/a "FEDERICO MENDEZ," a/k/a "FREDERICO MENDEZ," a/k/a "FEDERICO MENDEZ FRANCISCO," ("MENDEZ-FRANCISCO"), on April 14, 2026 to twenty-four (24) months imprisonment. MENDEZ-FRANCISCO, age 44 and a native of Guatemala previously pled guilty to illegal re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a). The Court ordered that MENDEZ-FRANCISCO's term of imprisonment be served consecutively to any other sentence. MENDEZ-FRANCISCO must serve three (3) years of supervised release upon his release from prison and pay a mandatory $100 special assessment cost.

According to court documents and on May 15, 2024, MENDEZ-FRANCISCO pled guilty to the felony offense of Domestic Abuse-Child under 13 Present, in the 24th Judicial District Court Parish of Jefferson. The United States government removed MENDEZ-FRANCISCO from the United States on November 3, 2005, February 11, 2010, and July 3, 2024. Law enforcement authorities located MENDEZ-FRANCISCO, an illegal alien, in Jefferson Parish on May 2, 2025. MENDEZ-FRANCISCO had not received permission from the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reenter the United States.

U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations ("ICE-ERO") in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Duane A. Evans of the General Crimes Unit is prosecuting the matter.

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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods

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United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana published this content on April 17, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on April 18, 2026 at 03:29 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]