Guatemalan man arrested, charged with illegal re-entry

BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Edin Julian Hernandez Mejia, 22, a citizen and national of Guatemala, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with re-entry of a removed alien, which carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint on August 5, 2025, Hernandez Mejia was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by law enforcement. When questioned regarding citizenship and legal status in the United States, Hernandez Mejia confirmed that he is a citizen and national of Guatemala, and not a national of the United States. He was physically removed from the United States on two prior occasions, in February and March of 2024.

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.

Hernandez Mejia made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. and was detained.

The complaint is the result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent-in-Charge David Banks.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.   

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