A Guatemalan citizen living in Stamford, Connecticut, has been charged with illegally reentering the United States after deportation and making false statements on immigration applications. The announcement was made by David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England.
Marcos Ismalej Ixpancoc, also known as Marcos Hernandez Lopez and Jose Ernandez, age 39, was arrested on November 20, 2025. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and was ordered detained.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Ixpancoc was first apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol in Arizona in October 2006. At that time, he identified himself as Marcos Hernandez Lopez and claimed Mexican citizenship before being voluntarily returned to Mexico. In August 2012, he was again apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol in Texas under the name Jose Ernandez and claimed Guatemalan citizenship; he was removed to Guatemala the following month.
In June 2023, Ixpancoc applied for legal permanent residency and work authorization with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) using his true name and a Stamford address. Fingerprints collected during this application matched those from his previous apprehensions under different names.
The complaint further alleges that Ixpancoc falsely denied ever using other names or having been removed from the U.S., or issued a final order of removal on his USCIS applications. Additionally, he submitted a petition under the Violence Against Women Act claiming abuse by a U.S. citizen son who was only two years old at the time of filing.
If convicted of unlawful reentry, Ixpancoc faces up to two years in prison; if convicted of making false statements on immigration applications, he could face up to ten years.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stated: "A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt."
The investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from USCIS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America, an initiative led by the Department of Justice aimed at addressing illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime.
