South African National Fought Deportation, Faces Charges

CLEVELAND, OH – Two men are facing federal charges related to immigration violations in separate cases announced today by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio. The cases, while unrelated, highlight the ongoing efforts of federal agencies to enforce immigration laws.

Ziyaya Mtola, 39, has been indicted on one count of failure to depart the United States. According to the indictment, Mtola, a citizen of the Republic of South Africa, allegedly physically resisted efforts to remove him from the country on April 22, 2013, following a prior order of removal. Details surrounding the initial removal order remain scarce, but sources indicate the resistance was significant enough to warrant federal charges.

In a separate incident, Eleazar Ivan Carrillo-Vasquez, also known as Eduardo Ramirez-Lopez, 28, is accused of illegally reentering the United States after being previously deported. The indictment states Carrillo-Vasquez was deported to Mexico on two separate occasions – October 28, 2008, and April 22, 2009 – and knowingly violated those orders by returning to U.S. soil.

Federal prosecutors are quick to point out that sentencing will be determined on a case-by-case basis, taking into account each defendant’s criminal history (if any), their role in the alleged offenses, and the specifics of the violations. The Court will consider these factors before imposing a sentence, which will not exceed the statutory maximum. However, legal experts suggest that even a first-time offender faces potential jail time for these violations.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Tripi is handling the prosecution of both cases. The investigations were conducted by agents with the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) division of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE has been increasingly active in Ohio, conducting targeted enforcement operations and collaborating with local law enforcement agencies.

The Grimy Times will continue to follow these cases as they move through the federal court system. The details of the original removal orders for both Mtola and Carrillo-Vasquez remain under investigation, and we will provide updates as they become available. This latest development underscores the complex and often contentious nature of immigration enforcement in the United States.