PORTLAND, Maine: A Mexican national was sentenced on Monday in U.S. District Court in Portland for illegally reentering the U.S. after a prior removal.
U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Juan Mendez-Morales , 43, to time served (approximately 70 days). Mendez-Morales pleaded guilty on November 19, 2025.
According to court records, on October 22, 2025, Mendez-Morales was stopped by police for speeding. When a United States Border Patrol Agent arrived, Mendez-Morales admitted that he was a citizen of Mexico and had no immigration documents allowing him to be in the U.S. Mendez-Morales was previously removed from the country in October 2013 under an order from an immigration judge.
The United States Border Patrol investigated the case.
Operation Take Back America: 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.
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Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Maine — U.S. Department of Justice press release.