Fifteen previously deported individuals have been indicted by federal grand juries in the Southern District of Florida for illegally reentering the United States, U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones announced Monday, January 12, 2026.
According to the indictments, the defendants—hailing from Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, and Cuba—allegedly reentered the U.S. unlawfully after prior deportations and were later apprehended in South Florida counties, including Miami-Dade, Monroe, Highlands, Martin, St. Lucie, and Okeechobee.
The indictments detail the following cases:
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Santos Godinez-Jacinto, 46, of Guatemala, found in Miami-Dade County in December 2025 after being deported in 2010 (Case No. 26-cr-20008).
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Jose Francisco Cardenas-Meza, 42, of Honduras, found in Miami-Dade in December 2025 after being deported in 2006, 2011, and 2012 (Case No. 26-cr-20005).
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Santos Alberto Cardenas-Meza, 44, of Honduras, found in Miami-Dade in December 2025 after being deported in 2012 and three times in 2016 (Case No. 26-cr-20006).
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Gaspar Mendoza-Lopez, 28, of Guatemala, found in Miami-Dade in December 2025 after being deported twice in 2016 (Case No. 26-cr-20007).
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Ariel Urrea-Diaz, 58, of Mexico, found in Miami-Dade in November 2025 after deportations in 1983 and twice in 2013 (Case No. 26-cr-20013).
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Angel Anibal Garcia, 34, of Guatemala, found in Miami-Dade in November 2025 after deportations twice in 2012 and again in 2013 (Case No. 26-cr-20015).
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Sergio Perdomo Pajan, 38, of Cuba, found in Miami-Dade in November 2025 after deportations in 2013 and 2022 (Case No. 26-cr-20014).
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Waldemar Rosales-Teletor, 36, of Guatemala, found in Monroe County in December 2025 after deportations in 2007, 2012, and 2013 (Case No. 26-cr-20011).
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Elias Vicente Juarez, 30, of Guatemala, found in Miami-Dade in December 2025 after being deported in 2014 (Case No. 26-cr-20016).
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Luis Fernando Mendoza-Romulo, 30, of Mexico, found in St. Lucie County after being deported in 2023 (Case No. 26-cr-14001).
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Anibal Vidal Bamaca-Bautista, 28, of Guatemala, found in Okeechobee County after deportations in 2015 and 2020 (Case No. 26-cr-14004).
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Virginia Vazquez-Rodriguez, 41, of Mexico, found in Highlands County after deportation in 2019 (Case No. 26-cr-14002).
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Udi Mejia, 40, of Mexico, found in Highlands County after deportation in 2019 (Case No. 26-cr-14005).
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Wilton Velasquez-Hernandez, 35, of Guatemala, found in Highlands County after deportations twice in 2019 and again in 2020 (Case No. 26-cr-14007).
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Ivan Perez-Lopez, 43, of Mexico, found in Martin County in December 2025 after deportations twice in 2004 and again in 2008 (Case No. 26-cr-14006).
Illegal reentry after deportation carries a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison. However, prior convictions or aggravated offenses increase potential sentences:
Luis Fernando Mendoza-Romulo faces up to 10 years due to prior convictions. While Sergio Perdomo Pajan and Ariel Urrea-Diaz face up to 20 years each, based on prior aggravated convictions.
The cases are being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO); Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), with support from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol.
The prosecutions are being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Fugate, Melissa Roca Shaw, Justin Hoover, Christopher Hudock, and Jessica Kahn Obenauf through the newly formed Border and Immigration Crimes Enforcement (BICE) Section.
BICE was created by U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones in November 2025 to strengthen South Florida’s border security, protect maritime and land points of entry, enforce federal immigration law, and dismantle transnational smuggling networks operating through the region. The section combines narcotics, immigration, fraud, and violent-crime expertise into a coordinated unit focused on border-driven threats. Since its inception, BICE has indicted more than 40 illegal reentry cases.
“These indictments demonstrate our commitment to enforcing federal immigration laws and protecting South Florida’s borders,” U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones said. “BICE brings together resources and expertise to address repeat illegal reentry and other border-related criminal activity in a coordinated, strategic manner.”
The indictments mark the latest effort by federal authorities to prosecute repeat immigration offenders and reinforce border security in the Southern District of Florida.
