Repeat Crossers: 22 Illegally Re-Enter Florida

TALLAHASSEE & PENSACOLA, FL – Twenty-two individuals, already deported from the United States, have been convicted in Florida during the month of July for the felony of illegally re-entering the country. The cases, prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, underscore a persistent problem of repeat offenders flouting federal immigration laws. These aren’t new arrivals; these are individuals who were previously vetted, removed, and then brazenly attempted to circumvent the system, risking further criminal charges.

U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin announced the convictions, revealing a pattern of disregard for the law. The defendants, hailing primarily from Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras, had each been previously deported for unlawful presence in the U.S. and then illegally returned without authorization. The encounters leading to their arrests occurred across North Florida, including Tallahassee, Pensacola, Santa Rosa County, and Panama City Beach. This suggests a well-worn network of attempts to bypass border security.

Among those convicted, Oscar Alva-Cabrera, a Mexican national, was previously removed in May 2024 and encountered in Santa Rosa County on May 20, 2025. Fredy Bravo Galvez, also Mexican, is a serial offender, previously removed in March 2013 and March 2020, and apprehended in Tallahassee on June 14, 2025. Ofelia Caal-Chub, a Guatemalan national, was removed in December 2021 and encountered in Madison County on June 2, 2025. Other defendants include Jose Choc (Guatemala, removed January 2018, encountered Leon County May 17, 2025), Luis Funez-Gomez (Honduras, removed September 2008, encountered Tallahassee May 29, 2025), and Juan Gomez Perez (Mexico, removed September 2022, encountered Tallahassee May 29, 2025).

The list of repeat offenders is extensive. Roberto Gonzales-Coto (Honduras, removed June 2004, encountered Pensacola May 20, 2025), Olegario Guzman-Mayo (Mexico, removed multiple times in 2019 & 2022, encountered Escambia County May 2, 2025), and Juan Carlos Hernandez Vallejos (Nicaragua, removed repeatedly between 2006-2015, encountered Tallahassee May 29, 2025) all demonstrate a clear pattern of ignoring previous removal orders. Further convictions include Jose Larios-Cortez (Honduras, removed November 2014, encountered Santa Rosa County April 27, 2025), Juan Rodolfo Martinez-Hernandez (Mexico, removed 2017 & 2022, encountered Pace April 11, 2025), Elin Martinez-Lemus (Honduras, removed June 2013 & December 2017, encountered Pensacola February 22, 2025), and Baltazar R. Mixteco-Temaxtle (Mexico, removed December 2011 & August 2012, encountered Pensacola March 15, 2025).

The prosecutions continue with Jose Alfredo Morales-Huerta (Mexico, removed March 2019, encountered Escambia County June 10, 2025), Jose Luis Morales-Huerta (Mexico, removed November 2018, encountered Santa Rosa County May 26, 2025), Cevero Enrique Ordonez (Guatemala, removed February 2014, encountered Pensacola May 20, 2025), Wilmer Pelico Elias (Guatemala, removed October 2018 & August 2023, encountered Pensacola May 14, 2025), Herixson Rodriguez-Perez (Honduras, removed June 2014 & July 2019, encountered Pensacola May 11, 2025), Cecilio Sic-Garcia (Guatemala, removed October 2019 & February 2020, encountered Panama City Beach May 6, 2025), Jose Villanueva (Honduras, removed January 2013 & December 2020, encountered Santa Rosa County April 28, 2025), Juan Hurtado-Solano (Mexico, removed August & September 2012, encountered Tallahassee May 29, 2025), and Candido Hurtado-Solano (Mexico, removed August & September 2012, encountered Tallahassee May 29, 2025).

“You will see a pattern in many of these cases: aliens who continue to return this country believing they will not face criminal consequences for violating our immigration laws,” stated U.S. Attorney Heekin. He further stated that the convictions represent an effort to “Take Back America” by enforcing the nation’s immigration laws. While sentencing details were not immediately available, federal law carries significant penalties for illegal re-entry, including imprisonment and further deportation proceedings. The Grimy Times will continue to follow these cases and report on the evolving landscape of immigration enforcement in Florida.