Obed Zabaleta Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A Guatemalan national has admitted to slipping back into the United States after being kicked out twice, pleading guilty to illegal reentry. Obed Zabaleta, 23, stood before a federal judge and confessed to the crime, marking the latest chapter in a pattern of border violations that led to his arrest on a West Virginia highway.

Zabaleta was formally removed from the U.S. and sent back to Guatemala on two separate occasions—July 24, 2014, and January 15, 2015. Despite those deportations, he returned without permission. He was found living in the shadows and was ultimately caught during a routine traffic stop by the West Virginia State Police on November 9, 2016, near Exit 1 on I-79 in Charleston.

At no point after his removals did Zabaleta apply for legal reentry. He had no lawful status in the United States when authorities intercepted him. His presence here violates federal law, specifically 8 U.S.C. § 1326, which criminalizes the act of reentering the country after deportation.

Zabaleta now faces up to two years in federal prison. Sentencing is scheduled for March 2017 before United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston, who presided over the plea hearing. In addition to potential jail time, Zabaleta will face deportation proceedings once his case concludes—likely sending him back to Guatemala for a third time.

The investigation was led by the Department of Homeland Security, with critical support from the West Virginia State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes, who emphasized the seriousness of repeated immigration violations in federal court.

U.S. Attorney Carol Casto confirmed the plea, stating that illegal reentry is not a victimless crime and that federal authorities are committed to enforcing immigration laws, especially when individuals repeatedly defy removal orders. Zabaleta’s case underscores the federal crackdown on those who return to the U.S. after being formally deported.