A Guatemalan national has been sentenced to five years in prison for illegally re-entering the United States after a prior felony conviction and deportation. Marcos Perez-Hernandez, 25, was discovered in Rankin County, Mississippi on May 23, 2024. He had previously been convicted of a felony and deported from the U.S. in 2018.
Court documents reveal that Perez-Hernandez was stopped by a Rankin County Sheriff's officer for careless driving, driving under the influence, and lacking a driver's license. On September 5, 2024, he pled guilty to illegal reentry following his deportation after a state felony conviction for kidnapping in Tennessee.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Field Office Director Mellisa B. Harper of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) New Orleans.
The investigation into this case was conducted by ICE ERO, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Amber Jones prosecuting.