During the recent 43-day lapse in federal appropriations, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky continued its work on priority enforcement areas, including immigration cases. The office reported several sentencings related to immigration violations that occurred during this period.
On October 7, David Gomez-Rodriguez, a Mexican national living illegally in Pulaski County, received a 14-month sentence for illegal reentry into the United States. He had previously been removed from the country in August 2022 and was found again in December 2024 without authorization. Prior to his first removal, Gomez-Rodriguez had been convicted of rape in Nelson County, Kentucky.
On October 9, Juan Esteban Mejia-Ajpop, a Guatemalan national residing illegally in Newport, Kentucky, was sentenced to 26 months for aggravated identity theft and using false identification documents to obtain employment. According to his plea agreement, he used fraudulent California and Social Security cards on two occasions in October 2023 and April 2024; these documents contained information belonging to a U.S. citizen.
Also on October 9, Bernabe Domingo-Aguilar, another Guatemalan national living illegally in Newport, was sentenced to 60 months for illegal reentry after a felony conviction. Domingo-Aguilar had been removed from the United States four times before—three removals followed criminal charges—and most recently committed rape on a minor while unlawfully present in Kentucky in 2022.
On October 14, Antonio Balderas-Arellano, a Mexican national aged 25, was sentenced to 21 months for illegal reentry into the United States. He was found in Scott County after being deported from Atlanta to Mexico in November 2023.
Javier Perez-Ruiz, a Mexican national residing illegally in Louisville, was sentenced on October 20 to time served (approximately 124 days) for illegal reentry after being found in Scott County. His plea agreement states he had previously been convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and deported after serving his sentence.
On October 28, Jose Hernandez Garcia of Honduras received sentencing for possession of a firearm by an illegal alien after being stopped for driving under the influence and having an open beer bottle next to a loaded firearm inside his vehicle. Garcia did not have legal status in the U.S.
On October 30, Miguel Ruiz Sanchez—a Mexican national residing illegally in Shelby County—was sentenced to one year for illegal reentry into the United States. Court documents show he had previously been deported four times between March 2011 and February 2017 and held a prior felony conviction before those removals.
Finally on November 4, Esain Benitez Alcantara—a Mexican national—received a sentence of thirty months for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. His plea agreement reveals that Lexington Police responding to reports of gunfire found him with cash indicative of drug trafficking as well as methamphetamine and ammunition: "Benitez Alcantara admitted that he was an undocumented alien prohibited from possessing a firearm and that he possessed the methamphetamine with intent to distribute."
