Twenty-two illegal aliens in North Florida who were previously removed from the United States have now been convicted of illegal reentry into the country, U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin, who serves in the Northern District of Florida, announced on Monday.
"You will see a pattern in many of these cases: aliens who continue to return to this country believing they will not face criminal consequences for violating our immigration laws," Heekin said in a news release.
According to court records, the defendants were first deported due to being unlawfully present in the country, only to return illegally without necessary permission or approval from the United States.
The apprehensions, led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, were a part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative fighting against the invasion of illegal immigration.
U.S. Attorneys Jennifer H. Callahan, Brooke DiSalvo, Jessica Etherton, Alcia Forbes, Justin M. Keen, James McCain, Eric Mountin, Walter Narramore, Jeffrey Tharp and Eric Welch prosecuted the cases.
Specifically, individuals convicted of illegal reentry included Oscar Alva-Cabrera, Fredy Bravo Galvez, and Juan Gomez Perez - all Mexican illegal immigrants who were previously deported before being encountered in Florida in May and June. Others convicted of illegal reentry were from Honduras, Nicaragua, and Guatemala.
The convictions also come days after Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said he would continue making illegal immigration crackdowns a top priority of his agenda, following the lead of Gov. Ron DeSantis and President Donald Trump, at the Republican Freedom Forum in Orlando.
"President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi have promised to Take Back America by making the enforcement of our nation’s immigration laws a top priority, and my office will aggressively pursue these cases to ensure that those who continue to illegally enter our country are prosecuted and swiftly removed," Heekin added.
