A Guatemalan national, Wilmer Armando Xitumul-Godinez, 24, pleaded guilty to charges of unlawful reentry by a previously deported alien. The plea took place before U.S. Magistrate Judge Zack Hawthorn on March 31, 2025. Xitumul-Godinez, who was illegally in Port Arthur, Texas, was arrested in October 2024 following deportation by immigration officials in September of the same year.
The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr., with Xitumul-Godinez now facing a potential sentence of up to two years in federal prison. The court will decide on sentencing based on advisory guidelines and other factors after a presentence investigation conducted by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case forms part of Operation Take Back America, a national campaign by the Department of Justice focused on combating illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations. The initiative consolidates resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) to protect communities from violent crime.
Investigation into the case is being carried out by the Department of Homeland Security and the Port Arthur Police Department. Prosecution efforts are being managed by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tommy L. Coleman, with support from the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office.
