Government
ICE Florida Jobsite Arrests Show Past Deportations and Charges
US Attorney in Florida said first six workers charged in May raid had previously been deported at least once
Bernardo Chavez-Chavez was indicted May 30 by a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Florida. Document courtesy of the office of U.S. Attorney Jack Heekin
Six people arrested during a Tallahassee, Fla., construction site enforcement action in late May have been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly reentering the U.S. illegally.
While more than 100 were arrested at the site, John "Jack" Heekin, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Florida, said the arrests made that day are being further investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations and other federal and state agencies.
The penalty for illegally reentering the U.S. after deportation is a maximum of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The men indicted were: Bernardo Chavez-Chavez, 46; Candido Hurtado-Solano, 39; Juan Hurtado-Solano, 43; and Juan Gomez Perez, all of Mexico; Luis Armando Funez-Gomez, 48, of Honduras; and Juan Carlos Hernandez Vallejos, 42, of Nicaragua. All had been previously deported between and some had criminal histories dating as far back as 1997 including convictions for aggravated assault with a weapon, driving under the influence, fleeing and eluding and failures to appear in court.
The immigration enforcement action on the Gaines Street construction site remains sealed, but contractor Hedrick Brothers and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in public statements that a project subcontractor was initially being investigated. The contractor said it had no prior awareness that the May raid would happen.
