Guatemalan National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry After DUI

HARRISBURG, PA – Erikx Soto-Gomez, a 41-year-old citizen of Guatemala, received a 75-day sentence – time already served – from U.S. District Court Judge Julia K. Munley for the federal crime of illegal reentry. The sentence comes after Soto-Gomez was arrested following a Driving Under the Influence (DUI) incident in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, on April 10, 2025. This wasn’t his first run-in with U.S. immigration law.

According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Soto-Gomez was initially removed from the United States in 2012 following a court order. He then brazenly violated that order by returning illegally, triggering the federal indictment handed down by a grand jury. Soto-Gomez ultimately pleaded guilty to the charge of illegal reentry, admitting to knowingly entering the country despite being previously deported.

The case didn’t originate with federal immigration enforcement. It was a local Lebanon County DUI arrest that ultimately exposed Soto-Gomez’s illegal status and brought him before federal authorities. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and its Removal Operations division were the primary investigative force, working to build the case against Soto-Gomez. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Francis P. Sempa and Tatum Wilson handled the prosecution.

This prosecution is part of the Justice Department’s “Operation Take Back America,” a sweeping initiative designed to aggressively combat illegal immigration and dismantle transnational criminal organizations. The program aims to consolidate resources from existing task forces, including the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), to bolster enforcement efforts. The official DOJ link for the operation is: https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline

While the federal sentence has been served, Soto-Gomez isn’t free yet. He still faces pending state charges related to the original DUI arrest in Lebanon County. More significantly, an ICE detainer has been lodged against him, meaning he will be turned over to immigration authorities to begin deportation proceedings. Expect him back in Guatemala soon.

Grimy Times will continue to track this case and report on the ongoing efforts of Operation Take Back America. The relentless pursuit of those who violate our immigration laws – and endanger our communities – remains a top priority for federal law enforcement.

RELATED: Guatemalan Illegal Reentry Sentenced to Prison in Pennsylvania

RELATED: Molina-Perez Sentenced for Illegal Reentry