A Guatemalan citizen, Edin Julian Hernandez Mejia, 22, has been arrested and charged with illegal re-entry into the United States. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo in Buffalo, New York.
According to Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, Hernandez Mejia was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by law enforcement on August 5, 2025. During questioning about his citizenship and legal status, Hernandez Mejia stated he is a citizen and national of Guatemala and not of the United States. Records show that he had previously been removed from the country twice earlier in 2024.
The case falls under Operation Take Back America, an initiative that uses resources from the Department of Justice to address illegal immigration, target cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime.
Hernandez Mejia appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr., where he was detained pending further proceedings.
The investigation leading to these charges was conducted by U.S. Border Patrol under the leadership of Patrol Agent-in-Charge David Banks.
U.S. authorities remind the public that “the fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.”
