A Guatemalan national residing illegally in New Bedford has pleaded guilty to unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation. Mario Lopez, 35, entered his plea in a federal court in Boston and is scheduled for sentencing on July 10, 2025. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper will preside over the sentencing.
Lopez was initially deported from the United States on December 8, 2010, following an assault conviction in Maryland. Despite attempts to return in 2022, he was denied entry twice but eventually reentered the country on an unspecified date.
In November 2023, Lopez was apprehended by local authorities in Westport due to an open warrant. He faced further legal issues in March 2024 when arrested in New Bedford for unlicensed driving, open and gross lewdness, and an open container violation. Additional charges followed in December 2024 for operating under the influence of liquor and leaving the scene of property damage.
The charge of unlawful reentry could lead to a sentence of up to ten years imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a fine reaching $250,000. Upon serving any sentence imposed, Lopez faces deportation again.
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 is handling the prosecution.
