A Guatemalan man, Juan Carlos Lopez-Sosa, has pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the United States after being previously removed. The plea was entered on November 20, 2025, according to Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Court records show that Lopez-Sosa, 31, was discovered in St. Tammany Parish on September 11, 2025. He had been convicted in Arizona for illegal entry into the United States on April 6, 2018, and subsequently removed to Guatemala on April 20 of that year.
Lopez-Sosa now faces up to two years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100 if convicted. Sentencing is scheduled for January 15, 2026 before United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe.
The case falls under Operation Take Back America. This initiative uses resources from the Department of Justice—including its Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN)—to address illegal immigration and related criminal activity.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson stated: "Operation Take Back America marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime."
Simpson also acknowledged U.S. Customs and Border Protection for their role in investigating the case. The prosecution is overseen by Special Assistant United States Attorney Frederick W. Veters Jr., General Crimes Unit.
