Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced last Thursday, the indictment of 40-year-old Guatemalan national Federico Mendez-Francisco, also known by aliases including "Jorge Santos Arroyo" and "Jorge A. Gordillo." He is charged with the federal offense of re-entering the United States after being removed, which is a violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a)(b)(1). Mendez-Francisco was found in Jefferson Parish on May 2, without permission from federal immigration authorities to legally return, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Mendez-Francisco was previously removed from the U.S. on July 3, 2024. His criminal record includes a guilty plea for felony forgery in Pike County, Missouri, on August 24, 2005. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, if convicted on the current charge, he faces up to ten years in prison, a possible $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson said, "an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt." Mendez-Francisco was indicted after an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. The indictment is part of efforts to enforce immigration laws against individuals who re-enter the U.S. unlawfully, especially those with prior criminal convictions, as stated by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
