Three foreign nationals have been indicted in Jacksonville, Florida, for illegal reentry into the United States after previous deportations. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced that Francisco Juarez-Hernandez, 25, of Mexico; Javier Melendez-Serrano, 29, of Honduras; and Israel Godinez-Carrillo, 27, of Guatemala were each charged with returning to the country without authorization following removal.
According to the indictments, Juarez-Hernandez was found in the United States on August 3, 2025, after being deported on November 10, 2020. Melendez-Serrano was located on March 7, 2025; he had previously been deported on October 11, 2019. Godinez-Carrillo was found present in the country on August 2, 2025; his earlier removal occurred on June 25, 2019. Authorities stated that none of these individuals had received permission from either the Attorney General or Secretary of Homeland Security to seek readmission.
Each defendant faces up to two years in federal prison if convicted.
"An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty," according to the announcement.
The cases are under investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) along with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney David B. Mesrobian is prosecuting the cases.
These prosecutions fall under Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative led by the Department of Justice aimed at addressing illegal immigration and combating transnational criminal organizations as well as violent crime within communities.
