Five Aliens Indicted on Illegal Reentry Charges and Illegal and Unlawful Alien in Possession of a Firearm

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 FELIX ANTONIO JUAREZ-ANTUNEZ, age 35, of Honduras, LIDIO GOMEZ-GOMEZ, age 49, of Mexico, EDUARDO AGUILAR-ARELLANO, age 35, of Mexico, and JOSE CENTENO-ANGEL, age 31, of Mexico with Illegal Reentry of a Deported Alien.

Additionally, the grand jury returned an indictment charging JOSE GABRIEL VALLEJO-HERNANDEZ, age 51, of Mexico, with illegal and unlawful alien in possession of a firearm.

If convicted of illegal reentry of a deported alien, JUAREZ-ANTUNEZ, previously deported twice and found in Wake County, would face maximum penalties of two years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

If convicted of illegal reentry subsequent to a felony conviction (death by motor vehicle), GOMEZ-GOMEZ, previously deported twice and found in Sampson County, would face maximum penalties of ten years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

AGUILAR-ARELLANO, previously deported and found in Johnston County, is alleged to have been previously removed subsequent to an aggravated felony conviction (second degree rape) and CENTENO-ANGEL, previously deported and found in Wake County, is alleged to have been previously removed subsequent to an aggravated felony conviction (accessory after the fact to kidnapping).  Therefore, if convicted, he would face a maximum imprisonment term of 20 years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

If convicted of illegal and unlawful alien in possession of a firearm, VALLEJO-HERNANDEZ, found in Columbus County, would face maximum penalties of 10 years imprisonment, 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.