A federal grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, has returned indictments against 16 individuals on charges related to criminal immigration violations. The indictments were announced by U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, along with several other law enforcement officials.
The charges include illegal reentry after deportation or removal for 14 individuals. Two others face additional charges of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. Notably, Angel David Zuniga-Baca and Humberto Avila-Duran are charged with both reentry after deportation and firearm possession. If convicted, they could face maximum sentences of 17 years in prison.
Other defendants facing charges include Moises Archaga-Garcia from Honduras and Darwin Martinez-Figueroa from Mexico, each facing up to two years in prison if convicted.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Danielle Yannelli and others. Investigations are conducted by agencies including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the FBI, ATF, DEA, and USMS.
These proceedings fall under Operation Take Back America, which aims to combat illegal immigration and transnational crime through coordinated efforts within the Department of Justice.
"An indictment is merely an allegation," noted officials, emphasizing that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
