United States Attorney David Metcalf recently announced the sentencing of three men who were convicted for illegally reentering the United States after having been previously deported. The three separate convictions stem from responses to an ongoing federal initiative aimed at curbing illegal immigration and reducing crime associated with transnational entities. Oscar Martinez Olmedo, a 44-year-old Mexican national, received 18 months in prison as determined by United States District Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge. According to a recent press release from the Department of Justice, Olmedo had originally been deported in December 2004, only to be arrested again in February 2020 by the Coatesville (Pa.) Police Department.
The same press release detailed Olmedo’s 2020 offenses, including multiple charges related to drugs and an illegal firearms sale. Following his arrest, ICE was notified through an electronic system and apprehended Olmedo in December 2024, upon completion of his state sentence. He was indicted for illegal reentry in January of this year and pleaded guilty the following month. Jimy Noe Meza-Hernandez, a Honduran national of 37 years, and Fredy Soriano Palestino, a 32-year-old Mexican national, also faced the consequences of illegal reentry this week. Meza-Hernandez was sentenced by Judge John M. Younge to time served and will be removed from the country. Likewise, Soriano Palestino received a similar judgement from Judge Kai N. Scott and will also face deportation.
Previously deported in August 2012, Meza-Hernandez was encountered in Texas by U.S. Border Patrol. He was later arrested in September of 2024 by the Plymouth Meeting (Pa.) Police Department and pled guilty to harassment charges this past January. ICE took custody of him in February, and he was charged by indictment with illegal reentry and subsequently pleaded guilty, as "Operation Take Back America" continues its efforts.
Similarly, Soriano Palestino was removed from the U.S. to Mexico in December 2011 after being caught by the U.S. Border Patrol. Reactivating the cycle of flight and capture, he illegally reentered the United States, only to be arrested this March by local authorities; however, his misdemeanor case was dismissed. When ICE received notification of his arrest, they lodged a detainer and charged him by information with illegal reentry befor he pleaded guilty. The forward momentum of "Operation Take Back America" sees these cases as victories in its larger mission to dismantle cartels and criminal organizations while protecting communities.
The Department of Justice affirms these cases were handled by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Danielle Bateman, Katherine Shulman, and Kevin Jayne.
