A federal grand jury has indicted nine individuals on immigration-related offenses in various counties across southern Illinois over the past two months. The areas involved are Effingham, Madison, Monroe, and St. Clair counties.
"Every time an illegal immigrant unlawfully enters the United States, they commit a federal crime. But eight of these individuals are repeat offenders—often deported after earlier crimes, only to reenter and face new charges," stated U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. He further noted, "The only person who wasn’t a prior offender was indicted for a firearms offense. These charges show our commitment to prioritizing repeat offenders and those who threaten public safety."
Among the individuals charged is Josue Lopez-Serrano, 35, a Mexican national charged with illegal reentry after deportation in Monroe County. Similarly, Angel Carmona-Perez, 44, a Mexican national, and Gaspar Lux-Lopez, 30, a Guatemalan national, face charges of illegal reentry after deportation, both in Madison County. Luis Morocho-Minga, 42, an Ecuadorian national, was indicted for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm in St. Clair County.
Also charged with illegal reentry in Effingham County is Pedro Ramos-Garcia, 36, a Guatemalan national. Andres Jimenez-Santiago, 26, Jose Ariza-Angula, 37, and Erick Roman-Roman, 49, all Mexican nationals, face similar charges in St. Clair County.
Lastly, Mayorie Fernandez-Ormeno, 44, a Chilean national, is facing multiple charges including conspiracy to commit access device fraud, access device fraud, attempted access device fraud, illegal entry after deportation in Madison County, and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
An indictment is a formal charge, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Additionally, in February, a jury in southern Illinois convicted an illegal alien from India for involvement in a scam targeting elderly victims across the Midwest, totaling over $400,000. His sentencing is set for May 29 in East St. Louis.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is heading the investigations, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dan Kapsak, Madalyn Campbell, and Kathleen Howard prosecuting. These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative aiming to counter illegal immigration and protect communities from violent crime.