Illegal aliens face immediate deportation for immigration violations

SAVANNAH, Georgia: Multiple defendants illegally inside the United States were sentenced in federal court and transferred to immigration authorities for immediate deportation.

The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Chief Judge R. Stan Baker and announced by Margaret E. 'Meg' Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

• Artemio Martin-Perez, 30, a citizen of Guatemala, was sentenced to time served followed by immediate deportation after pleading guilty to Illegal Re-entry after Removal or Deportation. Martin-Perez was identified as an illegal alien in September 2026 during an encounter with law enforcement in Chatham County and transferred to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
• Sergio Mendez-Tuxtla, 50, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to time served followed by immediate deportation after pleading guilty to Illegal Re-entry after Removal or Deportation. Mendez-Tuxtla was identified as an illegal alien in July 2026 during an encounter with law enforcement in Chatham County and transferred to ICE custody.
• Melzar Oved Gomes-Maradiaga, 36, of Honduras, was sentenced to six months in prison followed by immediate deportation after pleading guilty to Illegal Re-entry after Removal or Deportation. Gomes-Maradiaga was identified as an illegal alien in July 2026 during a traffic stop in Chatham County and transferred to ICE custody.

Illegal Re-entry after Removal or Deportation is a charge applied to an illegal alien present in the United States after at least one prior removal.

"We are committed to working alongside our local law enforcement partners to identify, capture, and remove illegal aliens who repeatedly disregard our nation's laws," said U.S. Attorney Heap.

These cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Chatham County Sheriff's Office, Chatham County Police Department and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Olivia C. Brame, Kendall S. Huennekens, and Darron J. Hubbard.