Source: Office of United States Attorneys
Bowling Green and Paducah, KY – Federal grand juries in Bowling Green and Paducah, Kentucky, returned indictments on May 13 and 14, 2025, charging 5 individuals with immigration and firearms offenses.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations, Nashville, and Sam Olson, Field Office Director for Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Chicago, U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement made the announcement.
According to the indictments:
Artemio Ruiz-Medina, age 45, a citizen of Mexico, was charged in Bowling Green with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about April 13, 2025, Ruiz-Medina was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about July 3, 2003, September 29, 2006, April 2, 2010, June 28, 2018, and July 28, 2023. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. This case is being investigated by HSI, ICE ERO.
Santos Pastor-Juarez, age 52, a citizen of Guatemala, was charged in Paducah with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about April 28, 2025, Pastor-Juarez was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about on March 6, 1998. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. This case is being investigated by HSI, ICE ERO.
Zhouchen Yan, age 29, a citizen of China, was charged in Bowling Green with 3 counts of making false written statements intended to deceive a licensed firearms dealer, on a Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Form 4473, Firearms Transaction Record. On the form, Yan falsely stated he was not an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States, when in fact, as the defendant then knew, he was an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States. These crimes occurred between October 23, 2023, and December13, 2024 in Warren County. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. This case is being investigated by ATF.
Ulises Macario Gonzaga-Guillen, age 32, a citizen of Mexico, was charged in Paducah with 4 counts of making false written statements intended to deceive a licensed firearms dealer, on a Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Form 4473, Firearms Transaction Record. On the form, Gonzaga-Guillen falsely stated he was not an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States, when in fact, as the defendant then knew, he was an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States. He was also charged with falsely claiming to be a United Sates citizen while being an illegal alien in possession of firearms on 2 occasions. These crimes occurred between January 1, 2025, and April 21, 2025, in McCracken and Marshall counties. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 73 years in prison. This case is being investigated by ATF, HSI, and ICE ERO.
Rodrigo Waldemarr Caal-Caal, age 22, a citizen of Guatemala, and Rodolfo Ruiz-Hernandez, age 27, a citizen of Mexico, were both charged in Paducah with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. Caal-Caal and Ruiz-Hernandez admitted to possessing a firearm to Mayfield Police Department investigators during a death investigation. If convicted, both face a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. This case is being investigated by ATF, HSI, ICE ERO, and the Mayfield Police Department.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys R. Nicholas Rabold and Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, and Seth Hancock and Raymond McGee, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, are prosecuting the cases.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, 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).
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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