Federal court orders deportation of five men after traffic stops in Chatham and Atkinson counties

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Five men who were in the United States illegally have been sentenced in federal court in the Southern District of Georgia and transferred to federal immigration authorities for immediate deportation.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia, each defendant pleaded guilty to illegal re-entry after removal or deportation, a federal offense that applies to people who return to the United States after previously being removed.

Chief U.S. District Judge R. Stan Baker sentenced each defendant to time served followed by immediate deportation.

The defendants include:

• Aguelio Lemos Hernandez, 35, of Honduras, who was identified during a January 2026 traffic stop in Chatham County.
• Henry Marin-Hernandez, 41, of Guatemala, who was identified during a February 2026 traffic stop in Chatham County.
• Luis Angel Velasquez-Montes, 27, of Mexico, who was identified during an April 2026 traffic stop in Chatham County.
• Miguel Aparicio-Ortiz, 40, of Mexico, who was identified during a January 2026 traffic stop in Chatham County.
• Moises Valenzuela-Mendez, 42, of Mexico, who was identified during a March 2026 traffic stop in Atkinson County.

After each traffic stop, the defendants were transferred to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

U.S. Attorney Margaret E. “Meg” Heap said the defendants had previously been removed from the United States before returning illegally.

“These defendants have previously been removed from the U.S., only to return and violate the law again and again,” Heap said. “We will continue to support our local law enforcement agencies’ efforts to identify and capture these illegal aliens.”

The cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office and the Atkinson County Sheriff’s Office. Federal prosecutors with the Southern District of Georgia handled the prosecutions.