NEW YORK, NY — A Guatemalan national convicted of sexually assaulting a child and repeatedly entering the United States illegally was arrested in New York City following his release from federal prison, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced.
Key Points
- Abel Osbaldo Mendez, 29, was arrested by ICE in New York after completing a prison sentence for illegal reentry.
- Mendez has been deported from the U.S. three times and has a 2019 conviction for sexual battery of a child.
- ICE described him as a “major threat” and cited public safety in enforcing his removal.
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers took custody of Abel Osbaldo Mendez, 29, on March 28 after he was released from the Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, located in Orange County, New York. He had been serving a 12-month sentence for illegal reentry following a prior deportation.
Mendez, originally removed in 2014 after illegally crossing the southern border and falsely claiming to be a Mexican citizen, reentered the U.S. multiple times. In 2019, he was arrested by Suffolk County Police for sexually assaulting a child and later convicted of sexual battery of a child.
History of repeated removals
After his 2019 conviction, a Justice Department immigration judge ordered his removal, and he was deported to Guatemala in December 2019. Mendez was arrested again in August 2020 for another illegal reentry and was deported in February 2021. ICE officers again encountered him in Virginia in May 2024, where he was charged and convicted of illegal reentry for the third time.
“Convicted child predators such as this thrice removed illegal alien represent a major threat to our communities,” said William P. Joyce, acting field office director for ERO New York City.
ICE confirmed that Mendez has been processed for reinstatement of his prior removal order and is now in custody pending further immigration enforcement proceedings.