KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Guatemalan national illegally living in the Kansas City, Mo. area, was sentenced to seven months in federal prison for violating immigration laws. On May 18, 2026, Jose Manuel Lopez-Maderos, 40, pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the United States after having previously been deported. This case marks his first federal conviction for illegal reentry. On Feb. 15, 2026, officers with the Independence, Missouri Police Department arrested Lopez-Maderos for driving without a license. After using fingerprints to confirm his identity, officers learned he had previously been deported. The Independence Police Department contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations who took custody of Lopez-Maderos.
Lopez-Maderos was first found in the United States on Aug. 23, 2009, after being arrested by the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department for driving under the influence. It was determined that he had entered the United States illegally and he was given the opportunity to appear in immigration court to contest his removal. He failed to appear at that hearing and was ordered deported in absentia. He was eventually located and deported on Aug. 9, 2013. Lopez-Maderos was found in the United States again on May 13, 2017, when he was arrested in Johnson County, Kan. for driving under the influence. After his conviction, he was deported on Aug. 3, 2017. Lopez-Maderos was apprehended crossing the United States-Mexico border on June 23, 2018. He was convicted of illegally entering the country and deported. He was most recently deported after being apprehended again at the border on Feb. 21, 2019, and was deported for the fourth time. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Nichols. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Independence, Missouri Police Department.
Operation Take Back AmericaThis case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).