E. Martin Estrada, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California
Federal prosecutors have filed criminal charges against 34 individuals accused of re-entering the United States after being previously removed, the Justice Department announced. Many of those charged have prior felony convictions including domestic violence, unlawful sex with a minor, and assault with a deadly weapon.
The offense of being found in the United States following removal carries a sentence of up to two years in federal prison. However, those removed after felony convictions could face up to ten years, while those with aggravated felony convictions could be sentenced to 20 years.
Among the documented cases is Maximo Medrano, 59, of Mexico. Medrano, removed from the U.S. in 1998 and 2023, has felony charges for transporting a controlled substance and offenses for which he must register as a sex offender. He is scheduled for an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. Assistant United States Attorney MiRi Song is handling the case.
Adrian Chopin-Sánchez, 32, of Mexico, removed in 2017, has a conviction for unlawful sex with a minor. Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Scally is prosecuting. Daniel Giovanni Rivera-Peralta, also 32, was removed in 2021 and has an assault conviction. Scally is also prosecuting his case.
Additionally, charges were filed against four individuals who allegedly stole $10,000 cash from a victim at a gasoline station. Their arrests followed a high-speed pursuit by law enforcement. Found with fake passports, the defendants face charges of conspiracy to transport stolen money.
The defendants are Javier Jesús Cordoza Araújo, 41, of Venezuela; Ingrid Carolina Medina, 40, of Colombia; Gladys Gruz Navarro, 62, of Venezuela; and Guadalupe Delcristo Martínez, 46, of Mexico. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' Orange County Violent Crimes Task Force is investigating, with Assistant United States Attorneys Jena A. MacCabe and Kevin J. Butler prosecuting.
These charges are part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative by the Department of Justice targeting illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations.
According to the Justice Department, "All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law."
