Press Release
Guatemalan National Man Pleads Guilty to an Immigration Crime
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of West Virginia
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Guatemalan national man pled guilty to the felony offense of Reentry of a Removed Alien, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Daniel Lopez-Ajqui, 26, faces up to two years in prison, a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, a special assessment, and possible removal from the United States when he is scheduled to be sentenced on October 21, 2019. Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“This is Constitution Week in the United States and I celebrate that it is not only the finest document ever written by man but that it is also the foundation for the greatest nation in the history of the earth. But to be an American, you must follow the rules and come to this nation legally. This is Lopez-Ajqui’s third removal,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “If he legally entered our country, he would be welcomed to stay.”
On June 11, 2019, Lopez-Ajqui was found in Elkview by members of ICE after they received information Lopez-Ajqui was working illegally in Elkview. ICE agents traveled to Elkview to confirm his legal status. The defendant admitted to agents that he was in the United States illegally. Lopez-Ajqui was arrested and ICE agents matched his fingerprints to previous removals from the United States. ICE agents further spoke to the defendant to confirm his identity. Lopez-Ajqui again admitted being in the United States illegally and had no identification documents permitting him legal status in the United States.
Fingerprinting matched Lopez-Ajqui to two prior removals from the United States in 2018 from Texas. In all prior removal hearings, Lopez-Ajqui was found by immigration judges to be in the United States illegally and he was deported to Guatemala. He had not obtained permission to legally enter the United States and had not sought legal status or citizenship. Lopez-Ajqui further admitted to ICE agents that he was a Guatemalan citizen.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes handled the prosecution.
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Updated September 16, 2019
Topic
Immigration
Component