A Guatemalan national, Jairon Micael Juarez-Gomez, has been indicted in Ocala, Florida on charges of illegal reentry after deportation and failure to register as a sex offender. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.
According to the indictment, Juarez-Gomez, 36, was convicted of sexual battery involving a child between the ages of 12 and 18 on November 30, 2020. After this conviction, he was required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). He was deported from the United States to Guatemala on December 29, 2020.
Authorities allege that Juarez-Gomez returned voluntarily to the United States without receiving permission from either the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security. He was discovered in the country on August 8, 2025. Upon his return, he had not registered as a sex offender as mandated by SORNA.
The indictment is described as "merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law," with every defendant "presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty."
The investigation involves multiple agencies including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the United States Marshals Service, Mount Dora Police Department, and Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson is prosecuting the case.
The charges against Juarez-Gomez are part of Operation Take Back America. This initiative aims to use resources across the Department of Justice to address illegal immigration issues and combat transnational criminal organizations.
