A Guatemalan national, Juan Perez-Martin, has pleaded guilty to unlawful reentry into the United States after being deported. The plea was entered on June 5, 2025. Court documents reveal that Perez-Martin, aged 31, was found in Madison County, Mississippi on March 19, 2025. He had previously been removed from the U.S. in 2019 and deported again in 2022.
Perez-Martin is set to be sentenced on September 3, 2025. He faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after reviewing the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon for the Southern District of Mississippi and Field Office Director Mellisa B. Harper of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) New Orleans.
The investigation was conducted by ICE ERO, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Amber Jones prosecuting the case.
This case is part of "Operation Take Back America," a nationwide initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs). The operation utilizes resources from the Department of Justice's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
