Six individuals, all foreign nationals who were in the United States illegally, have been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to illegal reentry offenses in the Southern District of Indiana. Five of the defendants had prior felony convictions. The cases originated from Monroe, Dubois, Marion, and Perry counties and were handled as separate investigations.
The defendants received sentences ranging from time served to nearly four years in prison. Among them was Teodulo Gonzalez-Parral, 51, of Mexico, who was sentenced to three years and ten months for illegal reentry. His record includes multiple prior removals and convictions for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and assault. Raymundo Antonio Galdamez-Lobo, 44, of El Salvador, received a sentence of three years and one month; his criminal history lists several removals and convictions for offenses including burglary and providing false information.
Jorge A. Esparza-Reyna, 32, also from Mexico, was sentenced to seven months following previous deportations and two DUI convictions. Three other defendants—Noe Hernandez-Cocullo (37), Amin Derli Reynosa-Diaz (29), and Martin Cortez-Lopez (36)—were each sentenced to time served based on their histories involving charges such as endangering the safety of a child or possession of controlled substances.
Upon entering their guilty pleas, all defendants agreed that they would be subject to removal from the United States upon completion of their sentences. Their supervision terms require surrender to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after release from federal custody.
“Violent criminal aliens who repeatedly violate our immigration laws and endanger our communities must face real consequences,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Through Operation Take Back America, we are unleashing the full force of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal aliens and ensure that those who threaten our security face swift and decisive justice.”
The Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations led these investigations. Sentences were handed down by U.S. District Judges Richard L. Young, Matthew P. Brookman, Tanya Walton Pratt, and James P. Hanlon.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Todd Shellenbarger, Matthew Miller, Meredith Wood, Carolyn Haney, and Lauren Wheatley prosecuted these cases.
These prosecutions are part of Operation Take Back America—a national initiative that brings together resources from programs such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) within the Department of Justice—to address illegal immigration issues as well as combat cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
