Nine Illegal Aliens Convicted of Immigration Offenses in March

Pensacola and Gainesville – Today, United States Attorney John P. Heekin announced that nine illegal aliens were convicted of federal immigration crimes in the month of March.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Our federal immigration laws are not mere suggestions, and presence in the United States is reserved only for those who enter our country the right way in compliance with those laws. The U.S. citizens in the Northern District of Florida have a right to expect their government to secure our international borders and rigidly enforce our laws that are designed to keep our country safe, and that is exactly what my office will continue to do by aggressively prosecuting anyone who violates our immigration laws.”

According to court records, nine previously indicted defendants were convicted in the month of March for being unlawfully present in the country after a prior removal. The illegal aliens convicted in the month of March include:

• Benancio Cuyuch-Pelico, 34, of Guatemala, who was previously removed in October 2013. He was encountered in Escambia County on January 27, 2026.
• Santos Gonon, 25 of Guatemala, who was previously removed in May 2019. He was encountered in Escambia County on January 21, 2026.
• Pablo Cuyuch-Garcia, 35, of Guatemala, who was previously removed in May 2011. He was encountered in Escambia County on January 26, 2026.
• Gordolias Perez-Ramirez, 32, of Guatemala, who was previously removed in February 2018. He was encountered in Okaloosa County on February 1, 2026.
• Antonio Isidro-Lopez, 44, of Honduras, who was previously removed in January 2025. He was encountered in Escambia County on February 5, 2026.
• Nicholas Mencho-Lucas, 43, of Mexico, who was previously removed in June 2011. He was encountered in Okaloosa County on September 21, 2025.
• Kenji Bonilla-Cubas, 30, of Honduras, who was previously removed in February 2020. He was encountered in Escambia County on February 5, 2026.
• Juan Hernandez-Cruz, 33, of Mexico, who was previously removed in April 2015. He was encountered in Okaloosa County on February 15, 2026.
• Pedro Humberto Vasquez-Guerra, of El Salvador, who was previously removed in October 2017. He was encountered in Okaloosa County on December 9, 2025.

The cases involved investigations by Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations with the assistance of the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Pensacola Naval Air Station Police, the Pensacola Police Department, Fort Walton Beach Police Department, Florida Highway Patrol, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office

Assistant United States Attorneys Alicia H. Forbes, Thomas S.P. Geeker, Brooke A. DiSalvo, Tyler Fleming, Christopher C. Patterson, Jeffrey M. Tharp are prosecuting the cases.

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.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.