A federal grand jury in Columbus, Ohio, has indicted two individuals in separate immigration cases. Carlos Gonzales-Hernandez, a 55-year-old citizen of El Salvador, is charged with illegally reentering the United States after a conviction for an aggravated felony. He was detained in January 2025 following a traffic stop in Madison County and subsequently transferred to ICE custody. Previously removed from the U.S., Gonzales-Hernandez had been convicted of three counts of gross sexual imposition in Franklin County Court and served six years in prison.
In another case, Elmer Edison Rodriguez-Guzman, 46, a Honduran national without legal status in the U.S., faces charges of possession of firearms or ammunition as an illegal alien and illegal reentry into the country. Rodriguez-Guzman was apprehended during a vehicle stop in Cambridge, Ohio, in July 2024. Authorities found a handgun, double-barrel shotgun, and ammunition. He was arrested and transferred to federal custody.
The crime of illegally reentering the United States can result in up to two years imprisonment. However, if there are multiple prior misdemeanors or an aggravated felony conviction involved, sentences can extend to ten or twenty years respectively.
"Kelly A. Norris," Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; "Jared Murphey," acting Special Agent in Charge at ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations Detroit; and "Robert Lynch," Field Office Director at ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Detroit Field Office announced these cases. Assistant United States Attorney Sheila G. Lafferty represents the U.S.
The indictment includes allegations only; defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. These prosecutions fall under the Southern District of Ohio Immigration Enforcement Task Force's efforts to address immigration violations.