Louisville City Wire

Federal grand juries in Bowling Green and Paducah, Kentucky, have issued indictments against four individuals for immigration offenses. The charges, announced by U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, involve illegal reentry after deportation or removal.

The accused include Pablo Felipe Baltazar, 26, from Guatemala; Roman Cornejo-Melchor, 50, from Mexico; Arcenio Perez-Martinez, 49, also from Mexico; and Oscar Rene Rodriguez, 38, from El Salvador. Each faces varying potential prison sentences if convicted.

Baltazar was found in the United States on February 14th after being previously deported three times between July 2018 and August 2024. He could face up to ten years in prison.

Cornejo-Melchor was discovered on March 13th having been removed multiple times since February 2012. His maximum sentence could be two years.

Perez-Martinez was located on February 28th following deportations in September 2019 and April 2020. He faces a possible twenty-year sentence.

Rodriguez was also found on February 28th after a prior removal in July 2009 and could receive up to two years if convicted.

These cases are under investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE/ERO). They are part of Operation Take Back America, which aims to combat illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark J. Yurchisin II and Raymond McGee are prosecuting these cases. A federal district court judge will determine sentencing based on guidelines without parole options available in the federal system.

"An indictment is merely an allegation," emphasized officials involved with the case. "All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law."