Arizona grand jury indicts Mexican man on firearm, immigration charges

PHOENIX — A grand jury in Tucson formally accused a deported Mexican man of multiple immigration and firearms-related crimes last week, according to authorities.

Teodoro Diaz-Ochoa, 44, was indicted of reentering the U.S. after deportation on Wednesday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.

The Mexican citizen was also found guilty of possessing firearm and ammunition as both a felon and an undocumented migrant.

Deported Mexican man accused of crimes related to firearms, immigration

Diaz-Ochoa was previously convicted of attempted sexual assault, a felony, and was removed from the U.S. on April 22, 2016, prosecutors said.

However, officers with the Arizona Game and Fish Department encountered him on Jan. 22, 2025, while investigating a case of suspected hunting without a license.

Authorities found Diaz-Ochoa had a Savage bolt action rifle as well as 80 rounds of ammunition, prosecutors said.

Two months later, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives executing a federal search warrant at his residence found a Remington semi-automatic shotgun and 18 rounds of ammunition, prosecutors said.

Potential sentences deported migrant faces

Diaz-Ochoa faces a potential maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted of the firearm and ammunition charges.

If he is convicted of reentering the U.S. as a removed noncitizen, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, prosecutors said.

Authorities said this case is part of a nationwide initiative called Operation Take Back America.

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