Crescencio Diaz-Diaz, 36, and Marcelo Perez-Santiz, 33, both from Mexico, have been charged in federal court with illegal reentry of a removed alien. Diaz-Diaz faces additional charges for possession and use of fraudulent employment authorization documents. These charges were announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Court documents indicate that Crescencio Diaz-Diaz illegally reentered the United States after being deported in 2020. Federal agents encountered him during the execution of search warrants at Emerald Coast Lawns in Navarre and an adjacent residence. During the search, agents seized a fraudulent permanent resident card and social security card with Diaz-Diaz’s name but another person’s information. Diaz-Diaz allegedly admitted to using these documents to gain employment at Emerald Coast Lawns.
Separate documents allege that Marcelo Perez-Santiz illegally reentered the United States after being deported three times in 2012. He was found at Emerald Coast Lawns’ business address in February and was arrested on a criminal complaint yesterday, making his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho.
The penalty for illegal reentry into the United States after deportation can be up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
These cases are under investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations with assistance from various agencies including the FBI, ATF, Florida Highway Patrol, U.S. Marshals Service, and Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes is prosecuting these cases.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has violated federal law; it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida serves as one of 94 offices nationwide under the direction of the Attorney General.
