Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Illegally Reentering the US After a Prior Removal

PORTLAND, Maine: A Mexican national pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to illegally reentering the U.S. after a prior removal.

According to court records, on October 22, 2025, Juan Mendez-Morales, 43, was stopped by police for speeding. When a United States Border Patrol Agent arrived, Mendez-Morales admitted that he was a citizen of Mexico and had no immigration documents allowing him to be in the United States. Mendez-Morales was previously removed from the U.S. in October 2013 pursuant to an order from an immigration judge.

Mendez-Morales faces a maximum prison term of two years and a fine up to $250,000. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The United States Border Patrol investigated the case.

Operation Take Back America: 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.

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