Rebecca C. Lutzko United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio
Federal grand juries in the Northern District of Ohio have recently indicted multiple individuals on charges related to immigration violations. The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the cases involve separate individuals and are not interconnected.
Hector Linares, a 47-year-old El Salvadorian citizen, faces three charges, including possession of a firearm by a felon and an alien, relating to a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol and ammunition. Previously, Linares was convicted of conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine. He has also been charged with illegal reentry, having been removed previously from the United States, with the most recent removal on November 24, 2023. The U.S. Marshals Service conducted the investigation leading to his indictment.
Edil A. Martinez-Padilla, 38, from Honduras, is charged with illegal reentry. He has been removed from the United States on two occasions, with the last being April 24, 2013. His case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Similarly, Carlos Daniel Romero-Esborar, a 39-year-old Honduran, faces charges of illegal reentry. He too was previously deported, with his last removal on April 27, 2012. ICE conducted the investigation preceding his indictment.
A separate case involves Juan Tiul Xi, a 26-year-old Guatemalan residing unlawfully in Cleveland. He has been indicted for allegedly providing false information on a sponsorship application to the Office of Refugee Resettlement. It is alleged that Tiul Xi encouraged a 14-year-old Guatemalan girl to enter the U.S. illegally. Prosecutors claim he used his sister’s identity in the paperwork to gain custody of the minor. This indictment was the result of Joint Task Force Alpha’s efforts, with investigations conducted by ICE HSI and the FBI Cleveland Division, alongside HSI’s Guatemala team.
The USAO’s criminal division, including a team of Assistant U.S. Attorneys, is responsible for prosecuting these cases. Each indictment is a charge, not evidence of guilt; all defendants are entitled to a fair trial, where it is the government's duty to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Sentencing, upon conviction, will consider various factors unique to each case and will not exceed statutory limits.
These indictments are part of Operation Take Back America, a national initiative by the Department of Justice aiming to address illegal immigration and transnational crime.
