Guatemalan Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Entering Country

He was later convicted in federal court in Syracuse in early 2024 for illegal reentry and deported once again.

A Guatemalan national who was living in the United States illegally has been sentenced to 14 months in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States after a prior deportation and conviction for the same offense.

Enrique Diaz-Perez, 38, was sentenced following his guilty plea, in which he admitted to reentering the U.S. after being deported in February 2024. According to court records, Diaz-Perez was previously removed in 2009 after a conviction in Massachusetts for assault with a dangerous weapon. He was later convicted in federal court in Syracuse in early 2024 for illegal reentry and deported once again.

Authorities located and arrested Diaz-Perez in Syracuse on August 27, 2024. At the time of his arrest, he was working in Little Falls, N.Y. Following his prison term, Diaz-Perez will be subject to deportation proceedings.

In addition to his 14-month sentence, he received an additional consecutive four-month prison term for violating the conditions of his supervised release related to his previous illegal reentry conviction.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Tuck prosecuted the case.