FAIRFAX, VA — A Guatemalan national previously deported after a Texas felony drug conviction is expected to plead guilty this week to illegally reentering the United States, with his attorney asking a federal judge to sentence him to time already served rather than order additional incarceration.
According to a motion filed July 9 in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Luis Miguel Lopez-Ramos plans to plead guilty July 15 to one count of illegal reentry after removal. Defense counsel and federal prosecutors agree the recommended sentencing guidelines range is zero to six months and that a sentence of time served — approximately three weeks — is appropriate, according to the filing.
Court records also show U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga scheduled a combined plea and sentencing hearing for 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 15. A Spanish-language interpreter has been appointed for the hearing.
In the motion, Assistant Federal Public Defender Sean Mitchell wrote that Lopez-Ramos intends to waive preparation of a presentence report and immediately proceed to sentencing after entering his guilty plea. The defense argues the existing court record provides sufficient information for sentencing and says Lopez-Ramos has remained in custody since his June 24 arrest.
The filing states Lopez-Ramos' only criminal history point stems from a December 2025 Virginia conviction for first-offense driving while intoxicated, resulting in an advisory federal sentencing range of zero to six months after credit for accepting responsibility.
Related: Previously Deported Guatemalan Man Detained After Fairfax Arrest, Court Records Say
According to the defense filing, Lopez-Ramos has no intention of returning illegally to the United States and instead plans to return to Guatemala, where relatives have offered him housing and employment opportunities. The motion also says he hopes to reunite with his 12-year-old son after spending about a decade supporting him financially from the United States.
The motion further describes Lopez-Ramos as expressing remorse for violating federal immigration law and states he accepts responsibility for illegally reentering the country.
As Patch previously reported, federal authorities allege Lopez-Ramos, a citizen of Guatemala, was deported in October 2011 following a Harris County, Texas, felony cocaine conviction before later returning to the United States without authorization. Immigration authorities said they identified him after a May 2025 Fairfax County arrest on a misdemeanor driving while intoxicated charge.
The federal charge carries allegations only, and Lopez-Ramos remains presumed innocent unless and until he enters a guilty plea or is convicted in court. If the court accepts the plea agreement, sentencing is expected immediately afterward during Wednesday's hearing.
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