Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara today sentenced Esteban Lopez-Juarez (39, Mexico) to two years in federal prison for illegal reentry by deported alien. Lopez-Juarez previously pled guilty on July 1, 2025.
According to court records, Lopez-Juarez was found in the United States on March 16, 2025, after being arrested by local authorities for driving under the influence. Prior to being found, Lopez-Juarez had been previously deported on multiple occasions between 2012 and 2019 and had not received permission from immigration authorities to reenter the United States. Additionally, Lopez-Juarez has three prior convictions for illegal reentry.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
