A Guatemalan national has pleaded guilty to the charge of illegal reentry after removal, according to an announcement from Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson. Juan Carlos Lopez-Sosa, 31, entered his plea on November 20, 2025.
Court documents show that Lopez-Sosa was located in St. Tammany Parish on September 11, 2025. He had previously been convicted for illegal entry by an alien under federal law in Arizona on April 6, 2018. Following that conviction, he was removed to Guatemala on April 20, 2018.
If convicted, Lopez-Sosa could face up to two years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, 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. The initiative aims to use Department of Justice resources to address illegal immigration and related criminal activity by combining efforts from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson stated: “I praise 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.
