Honduran National Arrested For Illegal Reentry

Ocala, FL – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Jose Mario Abrego-Mejia (34, Honduras) with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. If convicted, Abrego-Mejia faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison. Abrego-Mejia is currently being detained pending the resolution of the criminal case.

According to the indictment, Abrego-Mejia was previously removed from the United States in 2009. After that removal, he was found to be voluntarily back in the United States on August 31, 2022. Abrego-Mejia has not received the consent of the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for readmission to the United States.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case is being investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO). It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Belkis H. Callaos.