Hawkeye Reporter

A Guatemalan man living in Waterloo, Iowa, has been sentenced to federal prison for illegally reentering the United States after being deported three times. Fidel Ramos-Ramos, 38, received a 98-day prison sentence following his guilty plea on June 13, 2025, to one count of illegal reentry.

According to court documents, Ramos-Ramos had previously been deported from the United States in 2012, 2014, and 2017. He admitted during his plea hearing that he returned without permission from the U.S. government. In January 2024, Ramos-Ramos crossed into Texas illegally. Immigration officials discovered him at Black Hawk County Jail on April 18, 2025, after he was arrested on a state warrant.

Ramos-Ramos had earlier been convicted in the District of Arizona for illegal entry and served a 30-day sentence before being deported again.

United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams imposed the sentence in Cedar Rapids. After completing his prison term, Ramos-Ramos will serve one year of supervised release. Federal law does not allow parole.

The case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), a national initiative by the Department of Justice that aims to combat illegal immigration and eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations through coordinated efforts with programs such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Enforcement and Removal Operations.

"This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN)."