Frizli Merari Miguel-Martinez, a 35-year-old Guatemalan national, has been sentenced to eight months in federal prison for illegal reentry after being removed from the United States multiple times. This announcement was made by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin stated: “The defendant not only repeatedly violated our national laws by illegally entering our country, he also committed numerous crimes while here. President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi have promised to Take Back America by making the enforcement of our nation’s immigration laws a top priority, and my office will continue to aggressively pursue these cases to ensure habitual illegal alien offenders are prosecuted, punished, and then swiftly removed from our country.”
Miguel-Martinez was apprehended on April 14, 2025, during a traffic stop conducted by a deputy from the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office. Following his arrest, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) determined that he was unlawfully present in the U.S., having previously been deported once in 2017 and twice in 2019 due to his illegal status. During his time in the U.S., Miguel-Martinez accumulated several traffic offenses and had prior convictions for illegal reentry in Florida and illegal entry in Arizona.
An ICE detainer is now lodged against Miguel-Martinez. After serving his prison term, he will face deportation proceedings. His sentence includes a one-year supervised release period; if he returns to the U.S. during this time, further incarceration could result from violating supervision terms.
The case was investigated jointly by ICE’s operational directorates along with Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement Removal Operations. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer H. Callahan led the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative aimed at curbing illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations—utilizing resources from the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one among 94 offices nationwide serving as principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.
