Hugo Lopez Morales, Illegal Re-Entry, New York 2025

Buffalo Man Arrested for Re-Entering the United States

BUFFALO, N.Y. – In a shocking turn of events, Hugo Lopez Morales, 48, a citizen and national of Guatemala, was arrested and charged with illegal re-entry, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

According to sources, on the afternoon of August 16, 2025, Lopez Morales was driving a vehicle at the Lewiston Bridge Port of Entry in Lewiston, NY. There were five passengers in the vehicle, including Martin Lopez Morales. Neither defendant had valid U.S. entry documents. The occupants of the vehicle were escorted to secondary inspection.

The investigation, led by Customs and Border Protection under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy, revealed that Lopez Morales was physically removed from the United States to Guatemala in November 2016. Additionally, he was previously convicted of illegal re-entry in June 2023 and was again deported in August 2023. He also voluntarily returned from the United States to Mexico in July 1998 and December 2004.

Lopez Morales was not the only one to face charges. Martin Lopez Morales, 30, a citizen and national of Guatemala, was also arrested and charged with illegal re-entry, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Furthermore, Hugo Lopez Morales is charged with illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien following a felony conviction, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

The defendants made initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroder, Jr. and were detained.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdny/pr/two-guatemalan-men-arrested-illegal-re-entry