Jury convicts illegal alien for unlawfully being in United States

HOUSTON, TX -- A Guatemalan national has been found guilty of illegally reentering the country without authorization, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

The jury deliberated for less than one hour before finding Leonardo Fernando Batz guilty as charged following a three-day trial.

On Nov. 23, 2023, authorities found Batz in Harris County. At that time, the investigation revealed he was not a citizen of the United States and had a previous removal order from an immigration judge.

Testimony revealed Batz had been previously removed in 2007 and in 2020.

The jury heard from a Border Patrol agent who described his encounter with Batz in the Rio Grande Valley in September 2019. Batz had illegally entered the United States by raft on the Rio Grande River and subsequently pleaded guilty.

A deportation officer also described how he rode with Batz when he was removed via plane from the United States to Guatemala in 2020.

The jury saw evidence including Batz’s Guatemalan passport, a travel pass the Guatemalan consulate had issued and various other documents from Batz’s alien file. A fingerprint expert also identified Batz as the same person documented in various deportation materials.

The defense attempted to question the trustworthiness of the government’s evidence. The jury did not believe those claims and found Batz guilty as charged.

U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt presided over trial and set sentencing for May 1, 2025. At that time, Batz faces up to two years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

He will remain in custody pending that hearing.

Immigration Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Valenti and Carrie Law prosecuted the case.

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 and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.