A Guatemalan national, Jose Martinez-Lopez, also known as “Amalio Mendez-Molina,” has been charged with unlawful reentry into the United States after deportation. The 33-year-old was arrested on March 11, 2025, in West Springfield and ordered detained until trial following his initial federal court appearance in Springfield.
According to the charging documents, Martinez-Lopez was first removed from the United States to Guatemala on August 28, 2009, after entering illegally at an unknown prior date. He allegedly reentered the U.S. unlawfully multiple times thereafter. Following a guilty verdict for human smuggling conspiracy in Phoenix, Arizona on August 8, 2011, he served a one-year probationary period and was removed again on August 23, 2011.
Martinez-Lopez is accused of illegally reentering the country a fourth time. On November 25, 2022, and June 17, 2023, he was arrested by the Cook County Sheriff's Office in Illinois for domestic battery/bodily harm. Federal immigration authorities lodged a detainer against him on June 18, 2023.
On March 10, 2025, Martinez-Lopez was arrested under the alias Amalio Mendez-Molina in West Springfield for assault and battery on a police officer. Fingerprints taken during this arrest allegedly matched those from his previous encounters with law enforcement.
The charge of unlawful reentry carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Upon completion of any sentence imposed, the defendant is subject to deportation. Sentences are determined by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow is prosecuting the case.
It is important to note that all details contained within the charging documents are allegations at this stage; Martinez-Lopez is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
