Guatemalan national sentenced to federal prison for unlawfully returning to the United States

BEAUMONT, Texas –A Guatemalan national, illegally living in Port Arthur, has been sentenced for unlawfully returning to the United States, announced Eastern District of Texas Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

Wilmer Armando Xitumul-Godinez, 24, pleaded guilty to illegal reentry by a previously deported alien and was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on August 28, 2025.  Godinez will be deported once he has served his sentence.

According to information presented in court, Godinez was deported by immigration officials in September of 2024.  However, federal agents again encountered Godinez reentering the United States in October of 2024.                                                

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Port Arthur Police Department and prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tommy Coleman.

###