Roberto Lopez-Mendez, a Mexican national unlawfully present in Haskell County, Oklahoma, was sentenced on Mar. 24 to six months in prison for document fraud and six months for illegal entry, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The court ordered that both sentences be served concurrently.
The case is significant as it highlights ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address issues related to unlawful entry and fraudulent documentation within the United States.
Lopez-Mendez pleaded guilty on July 28, 2025, in federal district court. Investigators said that on June 9, 2025, he knowingly possessed a forged or unlawfully obtained United States Permanent Residency Card while being illegally present in the country. The investigation involved the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division along with the Stigler Police Department.
The sentencing is part of Operation Take Back America, which aims to combat illegal immigration and dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations through coordinated resources from the Department of Justice.
Chief Judge Raúl M. Arias-Marxuach of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico presided over the hearing by assignment. Lopez-Mendez will remain in custody pending transfer to a Bureau of Prisons facility where he will serve his sentence without parole eligibility. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Cornell represented the government during proceedings.
