John E. Childress Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana
Last week, three individuals were arrested and charged in the Southern District of Indiana for illegally reentering the United States after previous deportation. The arrests followed an immigration enforcement operation conducted between April 29 and May 1 in Evansville and Bloomington, Indiana.
According to court documents, the men are Mexican nationals who had been deported following immigration proceedings but returned unlawfully to the U.S. They were discovered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Indiana. Each of the men had prior convictions or pending charges in the United States.
Martin Cortez-Lopez, aged 36, was apprehended on April 29 in Bloomington. He had prior convictions in Florida for resisting an officer with violence, possession of a controlled substance, and disorderly intoxication. Currently, he faces charges in Monroe County, Indiana, related to cocaine possession and operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Cortez-Lopez has been deported from the U.S. at least once before.
Jaime Ortiz-Guzman, aged 46, was arrested on May 1 in Bloomington. His previous conviction was for operating a vehicle while intoxicated in Indiana. He now faces additional charges for causing serious bodily injury while driving under the influence. Ortiz-Guzman has also been deported at least once.
Amin Reynosa-Diaz, aged 28, was detained on April 29 in Evansville. Previously convicted of domestic battery in Indiana, he currently faces charges for driving while intoxicated in Hampton County, Virginia, and is wanted on multiple warrants for failing to appear in court. Reynosa-Diaz has been removed from the U.S. at least once before.
If convicted of their current charges, each man could face prison sentences ranging from two to ten years.
These cases represent ongoing efforts to prosecute individuals found unlawfully re-entering the U.S., particularly those with criminal records or pending charges such as rape, domestic violence resulting in serious bodily injury, child molestation, burglary, and operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
Several investigative agencies contributed to these arrests: Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Homeland Security Investigations; and U.S. Marshals Service.
Acting U.S. Attorney Childress expressed gratitude towards Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carolyn Haney, Meredith Wood, Todd S. Shellenbarger, and Matthew B. Miller for prosecuting these cases.
These actions are part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and transnational crime by utilizing resources from various Department of Justice programs like Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
It is important to note that an indictment or criminal complaint consists only of allegations until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
