A Guatemalan national, Juan Carlos Lopez-Sosa, 31, pleaded guilty on November 20, 2025, to the charge of illegal reentry after removal. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Court documents show that Lopez-Sosa was located in St. Tammany Parish on September 11, 2025. He had previously been convicted for illegal entry into the United States in April 2018 by the District Court in Arizona and was subsequently removed to Guatemala later that month.
Lopez-Sosa faces a potential sentence of up to two years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. Sentencing is scheduled for January 15, 2026, before United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America. According to the Department of Justice, this initiative brings together resources from various agencies to address illegal immigration and target transnational criminal organizations and violent crime through coordinated efforts involving the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson stated: “Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in investigating this matter.” Special Assistant United States Attorney Frederick W. Veters Jr., from the General Crimes Unit, is overseeing the prosecution.
