Fifteen Previously Deported Aliens Indicted for Illegal Reentry in the Southern District of Florida
MIAMI – U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones announced today that federal grand juries in the Southern District of Florida have separately indicted 15 previously deported illegal aliens on charges of illegally reentering the U.S. According to the indictments, the defendants allegedly reentered the U.S. unlawfully after prior removals and were later located in South Florida.
The defendants are:
- Santos Godinez-Jacinto, 46, of Guatemala, was found in Miami-Dade County in December 2025 after being deported in 2010 (Case No. 26-cr-20008).
- José Francisco Cardenas-Meza, 42, of Honduras, was found in Miami-Dade County in December 2025 after being deported in 2006, 2011, and 2012 (Case No. 26-cr-20005).
- Santos Alberto Cardenas-Meza, 44, of Honduras, was found in Miami-Dade County in December 2025 after being deported in 2012 and thrice in 2016 (Case No. 26-cr-20006).
- Gaspar Mendoza-Lopez, 28, of Guatemala, was found in Miami-Dade County in December 2025 after being deported twice in 2016 (26-cr-20007).
- Ariel Urrea-Diaz, 58, of Mexico, was found in Miami-Dade County in November 2025 after being deported in 1983 and twice in 2013 (Case No. 26-cr-20013).
- Angel Anibal Garcia, 34, of Guatemala, was found in Miami-Dade County in November 2025 after being deported twice in 2012 and again in 2013 (Case No. 26-cr-20015).
- Sergio Perdomo Pajan, 38, of Cuba, was found in Miami-Dade County in November 2025 after being deported in 2013 and again in 2022 (Case No. 26-cr-20014).
- Waldemar Rosales-Teletor, 36, of Guatemala, was found in Monroe County in December 2025 after being deported in 2007, 2012, and 2013 (Case No. 26-cr-20011).
- Elias Vicente Juarez, 30, of Guatemala, was found in Miami-Dade County in December 2025 after being deported in 2014 (Case No. 26-cr-20016).
- Luis Fernando Mendoza-Romulo, 30, of Mexico, was found in St. Lucie County after being deported in 2023 (Case No. 26-cr-14001).
- Anibal Vidal Bamaca-Bautista, 28, of Guatemala, was found in Okeechobee County after being deported in 2015 and 2020 (Case No. 26-cr-14004).
- Virginia Vazquez-Rodriguez, 41, of Mexico, was found in Highlands County after being deported in 2019 (Case No. 26-cr-14002).
- Udi Mejia, 40, of Mexico, was found in Highlands County after being deported in 2019 (Case No. 26-cr-14005).
- Wilton Velasquez-Hernandez, 35, of Guatemala, was found in Highlands County after being deported twice in 2019 and again in 2020 (Case No. 26-cr-14007).
- Ivan Perez-Lopez, 43, of Mexico, was found in Martin County in December 2025 after being deported twice in 2004 and again in 2008 (Case No. 26-cr-14006).
The indictments charge the defendants with one count of illegal reentry after deportation, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison. Mendoza-Romulo faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison based on his prior convictions, qualifying him for an increased maximum sentence. Perdomo Pajan and Urrea-Diaz each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison based on allegations of a prior aggravated conviction, qualifying for an increased maximum sentence.
The cases are being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO); Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with assistance from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Fugate, Melissa Roca Shaw, Justin Hoover, Christopher Hudock, and Jessica Kahn Obenauf are prosecuting the cases.
The cases are being prosecuted by the newly formed Border and Immigration Crimes Enforcement (BICE) Section. BICE was created by U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones to strengthen South Florida’s border security posture, protect maritime and land points of entry, enforce federal immigration law, and dismantle transnational smuggling networks operating through the region. The Section brings together narcotics, immigration, fraud, and violent-crime expertise into a single coordinated unit focused on border-driven threats. Since its inception, BICE has been working to combat these threats and protect the community.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones stated, ‘We will continue to work tirelessly to protect our communities and uphold the rule of law. These indictments are a testament to our commitment to enforcing federal immigration law and dismantling transnational smuggling networks.’
For more information, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
Related Federal Cases
- Griselda Vazquez-Duran, Illegal Reentry of a Removed Alien, Florida 2022 · Alabama
- Ex-Cons Attend Reentry Seminar, Florida 2024 · Alabama
- Griselda Vazquez-Duran, Illicit Reentry, Florida 2023 · New York
- Juan Lucas-Gomez, Illegal Reentry, Mississippi 2025 · Alabama
- Michael R. Synychak, Illicit Vape Sales, Florida 2023 · New York
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Immigration Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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