Six individuals have pled guilty to charges of illegal reentry after removal in the Eastern District of Virginia, according to an announcement from Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the district.
The cases come in the wake of executive orders signed on January 20 that direct federal agencies to prioritize enforcement of immigration laws and prosecution of criminal offenses related to unauthorized entry or continued presence in the United States. The orders, titled "Protecting the American People Against Invasion" and "Securing Our Borders," emphasize the importance of enforcing immigration laws for national security and public safety. They also call for prioritizing criminal charges against individuals who violate immigration laws as well as those who facilitate unlawful presence.
Oscar Armando Duarte-Salinas, a Honduran national, was previously removed from the country three times before returning again and being arrested multiple times for public drunkenness in Fairfax County since April 2022. He pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following his previous removals.
Salvadoran national Pablo Arnoldo Argueta Gonzalez, also known as Jose Rodriguez-Montoya, was removed in 2019 but returned unlawfully. He was detained at Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail following a DUI arrest and pled guilty on August 19 to illegal reentry.
Guatemalan national Jiber Nemias-Lucs has been removed several times since 2011 but continued to return unlawfully. His criminal history includes convictions for assault and battery, DUI, obstruction of justice, and other offenses across Arlington County. On August 20, he pled guilty to illegal reentry after prior removals.
Salvadoran national Marlon Omar Flores Quintanilla was removed twice before ICE officers discovered him at Prince William County Adult Detention Center this year. He pled guilty on August 21 to illegally reentering after removal.
Abel Enrique Carrillo Cobo, a Guatemalan national previously removed three times, was arrested in Fairfax County in July 2022 for carrying a concealed weapon. He pled guilty on August 27 to illegal reentry after removal subsequent to a felony conviction.
Jose Adolfo Veliz, also from Guatemala, entered the United States illegally in 1990 and was later removed by San Bernardino County authorities in California in 2009. This year he was arrested by Hanover County Police Department on charges related to sexual battery and subsequently pled guilty on August 26 to illegal reentry after removal.
All six defendants remain subject to their previous orders of removal.
These prosecutions are part of Operation Take Back America, 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, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime."
"A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for the case number provided above."
