Six individuals, all previously convicted felons and illegal immigrants, have been sentenced to federal prison in the Southern District of Indiana after pleading guilty to illegal reentry. The cases involved arrests in Bartholomew, Hamilton, Henry, and Marion counties and were prosecuted separately.
The defendants include Francisco Cervantes-Venegas, 36, of Mexico; German Lazo Mendez, 36, of Honduras; Giovani Ramirez-Soto, 33, of Mexico; Bonifacio Ortiz-Pena, 40, of Mexico; Nelgio Tovias DeLeon-Perez, 46, of Mexico; and Mauricio Toto-Xolo, 32, of Mexico. Sentences ranged from time served (11 months) up to four years and nine months in prison. Each defendant will also serve a period of supervised release upon completion of their sentence.
The convictions for these individuals included offenses such as criminal confinement involving a minor with bodily injury, domestic battery committed in the presence of a child under 16 years old, armed robbery, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and methamphetamine, operating vehicles without licenses or while intoxicated endangering others, transportation of illegal aliens and aiding and abetting.
Pending charges remain for one defendant in Marion County related to operating a vehicle without ever receiving a license and leaving the scene of an accident.
Upon entering their guilty pleas, all defendants acknowledged they would be subject to removal from the United States following their sentences. As part of their supervision conditions after release from federal custody, they are required to surrender to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“Violent criminal aliens who repeatedly violate our immigration laws and endanger our communities must face real consequences,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Through Operation Take Back America, we are unleashing the full force of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal aliens and ensure that those who threaten our security face swift and decisive justice.”
The Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted investigations into these cases. Sentences were handed down by U.S. District Judges Matthew P. Brookman, Jane Magnus-Stinson, and Chief Judge James R. Sweeney II.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler expressed appreciation for Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Eakman, Carolyn Haney, MaryAnn Mindrum, and Meredith Wood for prosecuting these cases.
These prosecutions fall under Operation Take Back America—a national initiative aimed at using Department of Justice resources against illegal immigration as well as cartels and transnational criminal organizations through coordinated efforts like the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
