ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — A Guatemalan man who's been deported six times before is facing a two-year prison sentence after being arrested in St. Johns County on Sept. 11, the Department of Justice announced Friday.

In a press release, the DOJ said United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe returned an indictment charging Jose Godinez-Mendoza, 39, with illegal reentry into the country by a previously deported person without legal status.

If convicted, Godinez-Mendoza faces up to two years in federal prison, followed by deportation from the U.S., the DOJ said.

On Sept. 7, 2025, the DOJ said in its release that Godinez-Mendoza was found voluntarily back in the U.S. in the St. Augustine area, where he was encountered during a traffic stop by a deputy with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office.

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