Mexican national indicted for illegal reentry to the United States after Gainesville arrest

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Moises Ramiro Lopez-Zenteno, 37, of Mexico, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegal reentry into the United States.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said, “My office remains committed to fulfilling the mission of Operation Take Back America to protect our communities by aggressively prosecuting the criminal illegal aliens who brazenly ignore and violate our nation’s immigration laws. America is a nation of laws, and we will continue to enforce those laws against anyone who mistakenly believes they can violate our laws with impunity.”

Lopez-Zenteno was arrested by Gainesville Police Department in September 2025 for domestic aggravated assault and domestic battery after previously being deported in 2016. Trial on the federal charge is set for May 27, 2026, before United States Chief Judge Allen Winsor.

The penalty for illegally reentering the United States after deportation is a maximum of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.