A Salvadoran national, Edwin Bonilla Mendoza, was sentenced on Feb. 3 to 15 months in prison for being a removed alien found in the United States and resisting a federal officer.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement to address immigration violations and ensure compliance with federal laws regarding reentry after removal.
According to information presented at the sentencing hearing, Bonilla Mendoza had previously been removed from the United States in 2018 but returned illegally. After his return, he was convicted of Aggravated Domestic Battery in Kankakee County Circuit Court in 2023 following an incident where he strangled a family member. In June 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents located him in Kankakee County. When they attempted to arrest him, Bonilla Mendoza tried to flee by driving away from agents and accelerated his vehicle into a police car twice before escaping into a residential area.
U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce determined that Bonilla Mendoza created a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury during his attempt to evade arrest. The court noted that he pleaded guilty to both offenses.
Bonilla Mendoza faces statutory penalties of up to two years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to one year of supervised release for being found as a removed alien in the United States. For resisting a federal officer, penalties include up to one year of imprisonment, up to a $100,000 fine, and up to one year of supervised release.
It is expected that Bonilla Mendoza will be removed from the United States after serving his sentence. The Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated the case with Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Lynch representing the government.
