Gwinnett drops charges against Spanish-language reporter in ICE custody

Safa Wahidi, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Jul 10, 2025

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ATLANTA — The Office of the Gwinnett County Solicitor General has dropped misdemeanor charges against Mario Guevara, a Spanish-language journalist known for reporting on, and livestreaming immigration agents at work in metro Atlanta to a wide audience on social media.

Gwinnett officials had charged Guevara with three misdemeanors that seem to be connected to his livestreaming of law enforcement activity: reckless driving, unlawful use of a telecommunication device and failure to obey signs.

“The first two charges are being dismissed due to a lack of legal sufficiency,” Gwinnett Solicitor General Lisamarie N. Bristol said in a news release on Thursday. “These violations cannot be charged on private property, only public streets. At the time of the alleged incident, Mr. Guevara was driving on the private property of an apartment complex.

“The third alleged infraction occurred while Mr. Guevara was operating his vehicle and simultaneously broadcasting live on a social media platform. While there was probable cause to support the issuance of warrants, upon further investigation there is insufficient evidence to obtain a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt.”

The charges followed three unrelated misdemeanor charges filed against Guevara while he was covering a “No Kings” protest in DeKalb County on June 14: obstruction of law enforcement, unlawful assembly and pedestrian walking on or along a roadway.

The DeKalb County charges, which led to Guevara’s arrest, were also dropped. He was initially held at the DeKalb County Jail and transferred to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Processing Center in Folkston before being taken to the Floyd County Jail in Rome.

As recently as July 8, Guevara was listed as in custody at the Federal Correctional Institution in Atlanta.

Guevara’s arrest sparked attention and outcry from free speech groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists. He is still in ICE custody and faces deportation proceedings.