New charges filed against Spanish-language journalist amid ICE detention

Three traffic charges were dropped on July 10, 2025, against journalist Mario Guevara, but he remained in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody at the Folkston Processing Center in Georgia more than a month after his arrest.

The Gwinnett County Solicitor’s Office announced the dismissal of the three misdemeanor charges — reckless driving, unlawful use of a telecommunications device and failure to obey signs — citing insufficient evidence and legal deficiencies.

In a statement shared with the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, Solicitor General Lisamarie Bristol said the first two charges were dismissed because Guevara was driving on the private property of an apartment complex, not a public street, making them invalid under Georgia law.

She added that while there was probable cause for the third charge, there wasn’t enough evidence to pursue a conviction for livestreaming while driving.

“We understand the significant public interest in this matter and recognize that there are strongly held views on both sides,” Bristol said. “Our prosecutorial decisions are guided solely by legal standards and the sufficiency of evidence to meet the burden of proof required under Georgia law.”

In a statement shared with the Tracker, the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office said it issued the warrants because Guevara’s actions compromised its operations and “jeopardized the safety of victims, investigators, and county residents.”

In an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution from the Folkston detention center, Guevara said that he is emotionally destroyed by his imprisonment. He passes the time by pacing, singing and reading the Bible.

“I’m plainly convinced that my situation in this ICE jail is direct retaliation for my coverage,” Guevara told the newspaper. “I haven’t committed any crimes. The government wants to use me as an example, they want to send a message that people can’t be following ICE operatives or expose what’s happening.”

In a statement posted to social platform X, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Guevara “is in ICE custody because he is in our country ILLEGALLY.”

The case stemmed from a video Guevara recorded more than a month before his June 14 arrest, which occurred while he was livestreaming a “No Kings” protest against President Donald Trump in Chamblee. Though the protest-related charges were later dropped, his arrest triggered an ICE detainer, and he has been in custody since.

Guevara, a longtime immigration reporter originally from El Salvador, has lived in the U.S. for more than 20 years, has valid work authorization, and is awaiting a green card through his U.S. citizen son.

In a message shared July 15 by MGNews, Guevara described ongoing hardships while detained, including extortion from other inmates and placement in a disciplinary cell where he is only allowed outside for two hours a day.

He told the Journal-Constitution that he would stop documenting immigration enforcement operations should he be released.

“I can’t put myself at risk,” he said. “Unless I become a U.S. citizen, my coverage will have to change.”

Guevara also said he regrets risking time with his wife and three children by putting himself in close contact with law enforcement as part of his reporting.

“That may have been the biggest mistake of my life, because now I’m realizing that work is not more important than family,” he said. “But I am no criminal. My family needs me. I’m going to fight until the end.”

An immigration judge granted Guevara a $7,500 bond on July 1, but ICE has appealed the decision. The Journal-Constitution reported that one of Guevara’s attorneys said the government argued during his bond hearing that the journalist’s livestreams impede law enforcement agents’ ability to do their work.

His deportation case remains pending in immigration court.

Spanish-language journalist Mario Guevara remains in custody as of July 3, 2025, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. It’s unclear where he is currently being held.

After being transferred from the Folkston Processing Center in south Georgia, a federal detention center, he was listed as detained at the Gwinnett County Jail System, but as of press time, was no longer listed in the system, CPJ’s Katherine Jacobsen told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker.

“We believe he is being transferred back to the Folkston ICE detention center at this time,” Jacobsen wrote in an email to the Tracker. “However, the situation is very fluid.”

An immigration judge had granted Guevara a $7,500 bond on July 1.

He was first arrested June 14 while livestreaming a protest against President Donald Trump in Chamblee, Georgia. Though local prosecutors dropped the charges tied to that protest on June 25, the arrest triggered a detainer from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Guevara still faces three misdemeanor charges in Gwinnett County, which were filed while he was already in custody. The charges apparently stem from him livestreaming immigration activity while driving more than a month earlier.

Guevara, a longtime immigration reporter and Salvadoran native, has lived in the U.S. for more than two decades and has work authorization. He lacks permanent legal status but has a pending green card application through his U.S. citizen son, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

His deportation case is still working its way through immigration court. Tricia McLaughlin, a Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, said in a statement to NBC News on July 2 that Guevara has been placed in removal proceedings.

His attorney, Giovanni Diaz, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Editor’s Note: This report has been updated to reflect new information regarding the ongoing custody of Mario Guevara.