Ocala, FL – Four individuals have been arrested in Sumter County as part of an immigration enforcement operation targeting illegal reentry into the United States. The operation, conducted during the week of May 12, 2025, led to the apprehension of Henry Noe Murillo Castellanos, 29, from Honduras, and three Mexican nationals: Juan Diaz Mendez, 29; Esteban Pashanno Gomez, 30; and Hermilo Jimenez Vazquez, 23.
Each of the men faces federal charges for reentering the U.S. illegally after previous deportations. If convicted, they could face up to two years in federal prison. Murillo Castellanos had been deported from the U.S. at least three times, while Diaz Mendez had two prior deportations. Pashanno Gomez and Jimenez Vazquez each had one previous removal. None of the men had sought or received permission to return from the Attorney General or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
The arrests were part of a collaborative investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the United States Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the Florida Highway Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton is prosecuting these cases.
This enforcement action is a component of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at curbing illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and safeguarding communities from violent crime.
