Several individuals from Honduras, Mexico, and Guatemala were sentenced in federal court for illegally reentering the United States after previous deportations, according to a March 23 announcement by U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama. The sentences are part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative targeting illegal immigration.
The cases highlight ongoing efforts by federal and local authorities to address repeat illegal entry offenses and related criminal activity. Authorities say these prosecutions aim not only to enforce immigration laws but also to target associated violent crime and dismantle transnational criminal organizations.
Jose Abisai Padilla-Galeano, 26, of Honduras received a sentence of 15 months in prison following his October 2025 arrest for possession of cocaine and intent to distribute a controlled substance. He had been previously deported four times and convicted twice for illegal reentry before this third offense. After serving his sentence, he will be transferred to immigration authorities for deportation proceedings.
Pedro Guerrero-Rocha, 27, of Mexico was sentenced to 18 months in prison after being stopped by Saraland Police Department on October 20, 2025. Guerrero had been deported six times previously and was convicted in Texas in 2019 for driving while intoxicated with a child under age fifteen as well as illegal reentry in 2023. He will also be transferred for deportation after serving his sentence.
Other defendants prosecuted under the operation include Luis Antonio Aguilar-Bedolla (Mexico), Nehemias Pelico-Cutz (Guatemala), Javier Hernandez-Juarez (Mexico), Tulio Miguel Mendez-Aguriano (Honduras), Jose Jorge Xocua Sandoval (Mexico), and Jesus Villanueva-Gallegos (Mexico). Each was convicted on charges related to illegal reentry after prior removal from the United States; most received time-served sentences followed by transfer orders for deportation proceedings.
Costello said that “these cases were prosecuted as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration.” The investigation involved multiple agencies including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection along with state law enforcement partners such as Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and several local police departments.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin D. Kopf prosecuted these cases on behalf of the United States.
