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Press Release

Guatemalan National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Reentry and Failure to Register as a Sex Offender

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida

Ocala, Florida – Jairon Michael Juarez-Gomez (36, Guatemala) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber to 18 months in federal prison for illegal reentry by a previously deported alien and failure to register as a sex offender. Juarez entered a guilty plea on October 22, 2025.

According to court documents, Juarez is a citizen and national of Guatemala. He is also a registered sex offender following his 2020 Florida conviction for sexual battery with a child. Under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”) a sex offender is required to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction where the offender resides and is employed.

On December 29, 2020, Juarez was deported from the United States to Guatemala. Afterward, he illegally returned and began living in the Middle District of Florida. When he did so, he failed to update his sexual offender registration as required by SORNA. On August 8, 2025, law enforcement discovered Juarez during a traffic stop. Juarez provided the officer with a false name and date of birth, but authorities soon confirmed his identity. When interviewed by law enforcement, Juarez eventually admitted that he had unlawfully been in the United States for the previous four years.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Mount Dora Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.

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.

Updated January 22, 2026

Topics
Operation Take Back America
Project Safe Childhood
Immigration