Mexican National Charged With Illegally Reentering The United States After Previously Being Deported Four Times

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Armando Soto-Carbajal (29, Mexico) with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. If convicted, Soto-Carbajal faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. 

According to documents, on June 9, 2025, Soto-Carbajal was encountered on Interstate 95 during a traffic stop conducted by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. While a deputy was conducting database queries, Soto-Carbajal fled on foot. Deputies pursued, located, and detained Soto-Carbajal several hundred feet into the woods off the highway.

The indictment alleges that Soto-Carbajal is a citizen of Mexico who was previously deported from the United States on four separate occasions. When found back in the United States, he had not obtained the consent of immigration authorities to lawfully reenter the country. 

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 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 Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney A. Tysen Duva.