A Guatemalan citizen, Ruben Urizar-Beteta, has pleaded guilty to illegal re-entry into the United States after being previously removed. The plea and sentencing took place on July 15, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
According to court records, Urizar-Beteta re-entered the country before March 23, 2025. He had been deported earlier on or about September 30, 2014. For his recent offense, he received a sentence of 30 months unsupervised probation and was ordered to pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson acknowledged the efforts of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in investigating the case. "Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in investigating this matter." Assistant United States Attorney Irene González handled the prosecution.
The case falls under Operation Take Back America, which is described as "a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime." The operation brings together resources from several programs within the Department of Justice.
