United States Attorney John P. Heekin has announced that a federal grand jury has returned indictments against 16 previously deported individuals for illegal reentry into the United States. These cases are part of ongoing immigration enforcement efforts.
Among those indicted is Jose Victor Aguilar-Zelaya, 40, from Honduras, who was found in Fort Walton Beach after being deported in 2010. Oscar Alva-Cabrera, 23, from Mexico, was located in Gulf Breeze following his deportation in 2024. Ofelia Andrea Caal-Chub, 22, from Guatemala, was discovered in Madison County after her deportation in 2021.
Bernardo Chavez-Chavez, 46, from Mexico, was identified in Tallahassee after being deported in 1997. Joel Coto-Mendoza, 48, also from Honduras, was found in Pensacola after his deportation in 2023. Luis Armando Funez-Gomez and Roberto Gonzales-Coto were both discovered after previous deportations.
Additional individuals include Candido Hurtado-Solano and Juan Hurtado-Solano from Mexico; Omar Jimenez-Salinas and Jose Luis Morales-Huerta also from Mexico; and Cevero Enrique Ordonez and Maximo Solis-Xec from Guatemala. Other defendants are Elpidio Abelardo Perez-Perez and Juan Carlos Hernandez Vallejos.
The penalty for illegal reentry into the United States is up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. These cases are being investigated by multiple agencies including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Florida Highway Patrol.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Etherton among others are prosecuting these cases. “An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt,” stated the press release.
These actions are part of Operation Take Back America aimed at combating illegal immigration and transnational crime organizations.
