Philadelphia, PA — Three foreign nationals who illegally returned to the United States after being deported were sentenced in federal court this month and now face removal from the country once again, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
The cases involve two Mexican nationals and one Honduran national who federal prosecutors said reentered the United States after prior deportations and were later identified by Immigration and Customs Enforcement following separate encounters with local law enforcement.
All three defendants received time-served sentences and will be deported after completing their federal cases.
Mexican National Deported Three Times Before Returning
The first defendant, Leobardo Lopez-Garcia, also known as Nazario Moreno Gonzalez, 46, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Karen Spencer Marston to approximately 10 months of time served for illegal reentry.
Federal prosecutors said Lopez-Garcia had previously been removed from the United States three times — in October 2000, January 2004, and January 2006 — following encounters with U.S. Border Patrol agents in Arizona.
ICE became aware of his presence in the United States after he was arrested by the Hatfield Township Police Department in April 2023 on a driving under the influence charge. He later pleaded guilty to the DUI offense in Montgomery County Court.
Federal authorities arrested Lopez-Garcia in August 2025, and he pleaded guilty to illegal reentry in March 2026.
ICE Located Second Defendant After Philadelphia Arrest
A second defendant, Baudilio Lopez-Ramirez, 37, a Mexican national, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Paul S. Diamond to approximately two and a half months of time served.
According to prosecutors, Lopez-Ramirez had previously been deported in March 2012 after being apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol in Arizona.
ICE learned of his presence in the country after he was arrested by the Philadelphia Police Department in December 2025.
Federal agents took him into custody in February, and he pleaded guilty to illegal reentry in April.
Key Points
• Three previously deported foreign nationals were sentenced for illegally reentering the United States.
• Two defendants are Mexican nationals and one is a Honduran national.
• All three will be removed from the United States after completing their sentences.
Honduran National Previously Convicted in Chester County
The third defendant, Jose Fernando Gomez-Urquia, 32, a Honduran national, received approximately two months of time served from U.S. District Judge Joseph F. Leeson Jr.
Federal officials said Gomez-Urquia was previously deported in May 2016 following an encounter with Border Patrol agents in Texas.
ICE became aware of his presence in Pennsylvania after he was arrested by the Coatesville Police Department in November 2025.
In March 2026, Gomez-Urquia pleaded guilty in Chester County Court to making terroristic threats with intent to terrorize another person and was sentenced to time served.
Federal authorities then charged him with illegal reentry. He pleaded guilty this month.
Part of Nationwide Immigration Enforcement Initiative
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative focused on immigration enforcement, transnational criminal organizations, and violent crime.
U.S. Attorney David Metcalf announced the sentences Friday.
All three defendants have completed or are nearing completion of their federal sentences and are expected to be removed from the United States as immigration proceedings move forward.