Five Aliens Indicted on Illegal Reentry Charges

RALEIGH – Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that a federal grand jury in Raleigh has returned indictments charging ROBERTO CARLOS CATALAN-BOCANEGRA, age 33, of Mexico, NESTOR ALONZO DE LOS SANTOS-HERNANDEZ, age 26, of Mexico, and FLORENCIO WALDEMAR VICENTE-VICENTE, age 26, of Guatemala, Noel Romero-Espinal, age 37, of Honduras, and Favian Villa-Campos, age 35, of Mexico, with Illegal Reentry of a Deported Alien.

If convicted of illegal reentry of a deported alien, CATALAN-BOCANEGRA, previously deported after three convictions for driving while impaired and domestic violence protective order violations,  DE LOS SANTOS-HERNANDEZ, previously deported and found in New Hanover County due to his convictions for second degree forcible rape and indecent liberties with a child, and VICENTE-VICENTE, previously deported and found in Wayne County due to his conviction for a drug-related offense, would face maximum penalties of two years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

ROMERO-ESPINAL, previously deported twice after a conviction for attempted trafficking in cocaine and a former MS-13 gang member, was found based on a hotline tip that he was living in Wake County, and VILLA-CAMPOS, previously deported twice and found in Craven County while serving two consecutive 66 to 92 month sentences for attempted trafficking and conspiracy to traffic cocaine, are both alleged to have been previously deported subsequent to a felony conviction. Therefore, if convicted, ROMERO-ESPINAL and VILLA-CAMPOS would face a maximum imprisonment term of 10 years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictments are merely accusations.  The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. 

The cases are being investigated by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations.