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A federal court has dismissed the charge against Argentina Juarez-Lopez, who was detained during a September immigration raid at the Nutrition Bar Confectioners plant in Cato. Juarez-Lopez, originally from Guatemala, was charged with illegal re-entry into the United States. However, court documents reveal that the charge was dropped on December 29, 2025, after U.S. District Court Judge Brenda K. Sannes ruled that her Fourth Amendment rights were violated during the raid.
The raid, conducted on September 4, resulted in the detention of 69 workers, with 57 found to be in the country illegally. Juarez-Lopez was among five workers charged with illegal re-entry. The charges against her were dismissed after a motion to suppress evidence was approved, citing unlawful actions by federal agents. Despite the dismissal, Juarez-Lopez remains in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Allegany County Jail and is expected to be deported due to an immigration detainer.
According to Spectrum News, the dismissal of Juarez-Lopez's case marks the end of federal criminal prosecutions from the Cato raid. However, immigration proceedings for some workers are still ongoing. Other workers charged, including Alex Ben Chipin and Gregorio Baldemar Ramirez-Perez, were sentenced to time served and are also expected to be deported.