A Guatemalan national residing unlawfully in New Bedford has been sentenced in federal court for illegal reentry into the United States following deportation. Mario Lopez, 35, received a sentence of time served, approximately four months, and two years of supervised release from U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper. Following his sentence, Lopez will face deportation proceedings.
Lopez had previously been deported on December 8, 2010, after an assault conviction in Maryland. Despite being denied entry twice in 2022 after his removal, he reentered the country unlawfully at an unspecified date.
In November 2023, local law enforcement arrested Lopez in Westport due to an open warrant. He was later arrested again in March 2024 and December 2024 for various charges including unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and operating under the influence of liquor.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director for Boston’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds prosecuted the case.
