By A. J. Maloney Multiple defendants found illegally inside the United States were sentenced in federal court in the Southern District of Georgia and transferred to immigration authorities for immediate deportation, according to a June 29 announcement by U.S. Attorney Margaret E. 'Meg' Heap.The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Chief Judge R. Stan Baker. The cases involved Aguelio Lemos Hernandez, 35, of Honduras; Henry Marin-Hernandez, 41, of Guatemala; Luis Angel Velasquez-Montes, 27, of Mexico; Miguel Aparicio-Ortiz, 40, of Mexico; and Moises Valenzuela-Mendez, 42, of Mexico. Each defendant pleaded guilty to Illegal Re-entry after Removal or Deportation and was sentenced to time served followed by immediate deportation.The individuals were identified as illegal aliens during traffic stops in Chatham County or Atkinson County between January and April 2026 before being transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. Illegal Re-entry after Removal or Deportation is charged when an individual returns to the United States after at least one prior removal.“These defendants have previously been removed from the U.S., only to return and violate the law again and again,” said Heap. “We will continue to support our local law enforcement agencies’ efforts to identify and capture these illegal aliens, and they can rest assured that our office will prosecute and remove them.”These cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations along with the Atkinson County Sheriff’s Office and Chatham County Sheriff’s Office. Prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys John P. Harper III, Lauren C. Olsen, Makeia R. Jonese, and Matthew A. Breedon from the Southern District of Georgia.The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia prosecutes federal crimes and manages civil litigation for the United States while operating under the Department of Justice with about 70 attorneys and support staff based at its Savannah headquarters and Augusta branch office; it is recognized nationally for successful prosecutions as well as community safety programs such as Project Safe Neighborhoods, according to the official website.