The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida has announced indictments against three foreign nationals accused of illegally reentering the United States. The individuals, Francisco Juarez-Hernandez of Mexico, age 25, Javier Melendez-Serrano of Honduras, age 29, and Israel Godinez-Carrillo of Guatemala, age 27, could face up to two years in federal prison if convicted on these charges. Each has been previously deported, according to official statements from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida.
The recent indictments pinpoint specific dates on which each man was discovered to have been in the country without authorization. Juarez-Hernandez was found on August 3, Melendez-Serrano on March 7, and Godinez-Carrillo on August 2. None of them had the required consent to reapply for admission into the U.S., a necessity following deportation. These cases are part of what's been dubbed Operation Take Back America, a DOJ-led effort to decidedly curb illegal immigration and dismantle transnational criminal operations.
An indictment is not an assurance of guilt but a formal accusation initiating a criminal case, with the foundation in American jurisprudence that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The task of prosecution for these cases has been assigned to Assistant United States Attorney David B. Mesrobian. Meanwhile, the cases are being investigated collaboratively by the Department of Homeland Security's ICE ERO and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
Operation Take Back America, according to information released by the Department of Justice, aims to "repel the invasion of illegal immigration," ensuring the "total elimination" of cartels and dangerous criminal networks that threaten community safety.
