Mexican National Nahum Ortiz-Perez Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Nahum Ortiz-Perez, also known as Oscar Marin-Trujillo, 30, a Mexican national with a violent criminal past, pleaded guilty today to illegally reentering the United States, a crime that federal prosecutors are treating as a direct assault on national security and border integrity. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge Robert C. Chambers, marking the latest chapter in a long pattern of evasion, aliases, and repeated violations of U.S. immigration law.

On December 3, 2017, Ortiz-Perez was spotted loitering near an auto repair shop in Milton, Cabell County — a town rarely at the center of federal immigration sweeps. Milton Police approached him after receiving suspicious activity reports. When questioned, Ortiz-Perez produced a Mexican voter registration card — the only ID he had. Officers immediately called U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE agents arrived within minutes, confirmed his unauthorized status, and took him into custody without incident.

But the arrest unraveled a deeper criminal trail. Fingerprint records linked Ortiz-Perez to a 2013 felony drug conviction in Idaho. After serving that sentence, he was deported. He reentered the U.S. illegally in 2014 and was caught in Douglas, Arizona — then deported again. Despite these removals, he crossed back into the country, evading detection until his 2017 capture in West Virginia. During interrogation, he admitted to being a Mexican national, confirmed two prior deportations, and acknowledged his lack of legal status.

Even more troubling, Ortiz-Perez admitted to using multiple false identities during his time in the U.S., including Oscar Marin-Trujillo, Wilson Ruiz-Martinez, Earnest Guzman, and Edgar Lucio — a tactic often used by transnational offenders to evade law enforcement and exploit social systems. His use of aliases underscores the difficulty federal agencies face in tracking repeat border violators with criminal histories.

“We are a nation of laws. Free sanctuary should never be provided to those that illegally enter our country,” said U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart, who personally oversaw the case. “We will continue to prosecute individuals who illegally jump ahead of those following the rules and abiding by our immigration laws – laws that provide for critical immigration and protect American citizens.” Stuart credited the Milton Police Department and ICE for their swift coordination in apprehending a known felon.

Ortiz-Perez now faces up to 10 years in federal prison at his sentencing on May 14, 2018. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is prosecuting the case. Upon completion of any sentence, federal authorities will initiate deportation proceedings. Given his criminal record and repeated illegal entries, immigration officials are expected to pursue permanent removal with heightened enforcement measures.