A Mexican national has admitted to the charge of illegal reentry after having been removed from the United States. Apolinar Armando Lopez-Gutierrez, aged 38, was linked to a stabbing investigation in Tennessee as a friend of the suspect. He was discovered living and working in Sutton, West Virginia, following his expulsion from the country in April 2024.
Lopez-Gutierrez faces a potential sentence of up to two years in federal prison. The final sentencing decision will be made by a federal district court judge who will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Cogar. Both the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Marshals Service were involved in the investigation.
The case falls under Operation Take Back America, a national initiative of the Department of Justice. This operation aligns various resources to combat illegal immigration, dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and ensure community safety from violent crimes. It leverages the efforts of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods for these objectives.
The proceedings were presided over by U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi.