Guatemalan Man Sneaks Into Arlington Over and Over Again: US Government

ARLINGTON, VA — A man who tried to illegally reenter the United States from Guatemala via Arlington has been sentenced to 14 months in prison.

Juan Abel Belteton-Barrios, 46, is a citizen of Guatemala who tried to sneak back in the United States after being deported back to Guatemala three times, once in 2008 and twice in 2015. He tried to get back into the United States a fourth time, but was discovered in Arlington by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in May 2016, according to a statement from the U.S. Justice Department.

The sentencing memo indicates that his family lives in the area, and it was an Arlington immigration judge who ordered him deported back in 2008.

Belteton-Barrios has a long and colorful history of trying to enter the United States that stretches all the way back to 1991, when he first entered the country and then applied for asylum two years later.

"After being denied asylum in 1998, Belteton-Barrios was ordered to voluntarily deport, however, he failed to follow the court order and remained in the United States undetected until his arrest for felony driving while intoxicated in June 2008," the statement reads. "After serving a prison sentence, Belteton-Barrios was deported back to Guatemala in October 2008. He returned to the United States approximately seven months later, in May 2009, and remained undetected until his arrest by U.S. Border Patrol agents in May 2015. Belteton-Barrios was again deported back to Guatemala in September 2015.

"Three months later, in December 2015, Belteton-Barrios entered the United States illegally for the third time," it continues. "He was immediately detected at the border and deported. Approximately one month later, he again returned to the United States and was detected by Border Patrol agents and immediately returned. In April 2016, Belteton-Barrios again illegally re-entered the United States and remained undetected until his arrest in May 2016."

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said in a statement that illegal reentry was a "serious offense" and required stiff punishment.

"Unlawful reentry after deportation or removal is an offense with significant cost to law enforcement that erodes the lawful immigration process," he said. "It is my hope that this sentence will promote respect for the law, provide just punishment, and serve to deter similar criminal conduct."

Image via Flickr user Chris Potter