Guatemalan Illegal Alien Sentenced for Illegal Entry Following Guilty Plea

Greenbelt, Maryland - A federal judge sentenced a Guatemalan illegal alien after he pled guilty to illegally entering the United States.

U.S. District Court Judge Ajmel A. Quereshi sentenced Jairo Mendez-Miranda, 29, to time served in prison for the illegal entry charge. Earlier this month, law enforcement arrested Mendez-Miranda in Montgomery County, Maryland. The officers then discovered Mendez-Miranda may not be legally present in the United States. Authorities previously deported Mendez-Miranda on two other occasions.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Acting Field Office Director Vernon Liggins, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE-ERO) - Baltimore Field Office.

According to court documents, on November 10, 2015, United States Border Patrol officers encountered Mendez-Miranda, a citizen and national of Guatemala, in Zapata, Texas. Authorities determined that he entered the U.S. without inspection by an immigration official and he was subsequently deported to Guatemala on November 20, 2015.

On August 2, 2016, Border Patrol encountered Mendez-Miranda again after he illegally re-entered the U.S. near Roma, Texas. Then on August 9, 2016, law enforcement arrested Mendez-Miranda and deported him a second time to Guatemala.

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.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended ICE-ERO for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Sarma who prosecuted the federal case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md.

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