BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- A federal grand jury today indicted six foreign nationals for being
in the United States illegally after having previously been deported,
announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance.
Separate
indictments filed in U.S. District Court charge Arturo Fernando
Arizpe-Torres, Salvador Mendoze-Chavez, Francisco Gallegos-Trujillo,
20, Gerardo Arturo Arguello-Canela, 43, and Roberto Vargas, 38, all of
Mexico; and Manuel Rodriguez-Bejar, 30, of Guatemala, for illegal
re-entry into the U.S. after previous deportation. Dates of birth were
unavailable for Arizpe-Torres and Mendoza-Chavez.
According to the indictments, the men were charged as follows:
Arizpe-Torres was found in Limestone
County on Nov. 14 after having been deported to Mexico in November 2010
from Hidalgo, Texas.
Mendoz-Chavez was found in Bibb County
on Nov. 19 after having been deported to Mexico in June 1997 from
Calexico, Calif., and in March 2006 from Nogales, Ariz.
Gallegos-Trujillo was found in Shelby
County on Nov. 27 after having been deported to Mexico in September 2011
from Brownsville, Texas, and from Douglas, Ariz., in October 2011.
Arguello-Canela, also known as Gerardo
Arturo Arguello, Gerardo Arturo Arguello-Ganela, Juan Ortiz, and
"Gordo," was found in Jackson County on Dec. 1 after having been
deported to Mexico in November 2011 from Brownsville.
He was deported following his Sept. 28, 2011, felony conviction in
Jackson County Circuit Court for possession of a controlled substance.
Vargas, also known as Roberto Vargas
Hernandez, Alberto Hernandez and Roberto H. Vargas, was found in Blount
County Dec. 6 after having been deported to Mexico in June 2002 from
Brownsville.
Rodriguez-Bejar, also known as Thomas
Jose Ramirez, Tomas Miguel, Manuel Bejar, Manuel Rodriges, Tomas Miguel
Sanchez, Tomas Jose Chavez, Hernesto Gonzalez Hernandez, Tomas Francisco
and Miguel Pedro-Tomas, was found in Etowah
County Sept. 2 after having been deported to Guatemala in October 2004
from Phoeniz, Ariz.,and from New Orleans in January 2009.
The maximum penalty for illegal
re-entry of a previously deported alien is two years in prison and a
$250,000 fine. The prison sentence may be enhanced to a 20-year maximum
for illegal re-entry of an alien who was previously
deported following conviction of an aggravated felony.
U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations investigated these cases
being prosecuted the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The public is
reminded that an indictment contains only charges. A defendant is
presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government's burden
to prove a defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt
at trial.
