A federal grand jury has indicted Jose Gertrudis Mendoza-Hernandez, a 34-year-old Guatemalan national, for illegally reentering the United States after previously being removed. The announcement was made by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
United States Attorney Brian D. Miller stated that Mendoza-Hernandez was found in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, on November 6, 2025. He had been removed from the country on September 14, 2023, and returned without obtaining legal permission.
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelley K. McGraw is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that brings together resources from the Department of Justice to address illegal immigration and target criminal organizations. The operation coordinates efforts from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). More information about Operation Take Back America can be found at https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline.
If convicted, Mendoza-Hernandez faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison, supervised release after imprisonment, and a fine. Sentencing will be determined by a judge who will consider federal statutes and sentencing guidelines.
The indictment is an allegation only; all individuals charged are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
