A 60-year-old Mexican national unlawfully present in Sequoyah County has pleaded guilty in federal court to unlawfully reentering the United States after a prior removal, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

Celso Martinez-Mata, also known as Celso Mata Martinez and Celso Martinez, entered the guilty plea to one count of unlawful reentry of a removed alien. The charge carries a maximum penalty of up to two years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Federal prosecutors said Martinez-Mata was found in the United States on Oct. 29, 2025, without having obtained permission from the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission after previously being removed from the country on July 2, 2002.

The case resulted from an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a division of the Department of Homeland Security, with assistance from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

U.S. Magistrate Judge D. Edward Snow accepted the guilty plea and ordered a presentence investigation report. A U.S. District Court judge will determine Martinez-Mata’s sentence at a later date after reviewing the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Martinez-Mata remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob R. Parker and is part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative aimed at addressing illegal immigration and combating organized crime.