Milton Guevara-Cruz, a 31-year-old El Salvadoran national with alleged ties to the 18th Street gang, entered a guilty plea for illegally reentering the United States after a felony conviction. According to a recent U.S. Department of Justice update, this violation holds a potential sentence of up to 10 years as prescribed by federal law.
The documents from the case reveal Guevara-Cruz to be a suspected member of the violent 18th Street gang, specifically the Tyni Locos Surenos clique, and his criminal record in El Salvador includes three arrests connected to gang activities. This pattern of unlawful behavior followed him to the U.S., where he faced physical removal in the years 2014, 2017, and again in 2019 following a conviction for illegal reentry, hailed from a Federal court in New Mexico, the Justice Department disclosed.
Last Sunday, officials from ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) apprehended Guevara-Cruz in Columbus. His case underscores ongoing efforts to combat illegal immigration and the infiltration of transnational gangs into the United States. Congress, holding the legislative reins, has set forth the minimum and maximum sentences for this federal crime. However, the sentencing of Guevara-Cruz will ultimately be determined by the Court, considering the advisory guidelines and other statutory factors.
Operation Take Back America, a federal initiative aiming to repel illegal immigration and dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), includes contributions from the Department of Justice's OCDETFs and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). It's worth noting Kelly A. Norris, acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Jared Murphey, acting Special Agent in charge of ICE's Homeland Security Investigations Detroit, and Robert Lynch, Field Office Director, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Detroit Field Office; announced the guilty plea, which occurred before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. on Tuesday.
The Southern District of Ohio Homeland Security Task Force brought the case to the court, part of a network of HSTFs established by President Trump under Executive Order 14159, titled "Protecting the American People Against Invasion." These task forces, spearheading joint operations led by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, signify a sharpened blade against the diffusing threats of illegal entries and gang proliferations into communities across the nation. The date for Guevara-Cruz's sentencing has yet to be scheduled.
