A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Alabama has issued charges against 15 individuals for immigration-related crimes, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona.
Among those indicted, Salvador Rodriguez-Villa of Mexico, Noel Paz-Diaz, 34, of Guatemala, Christian Mendoza-Salas, 29, of Mexico, Isidro Gutierrez Gabriel, 35, of Guatemala, Mateo Pascual-Francisco, 40, of Guatemala, Tomas Naz-Gonzalez, 27, of Guatemala, Marco Julio Agustin-Miranda, 27, of Guatemala, Rafael Juan-Francisco, 35, of Guatemala, Jose Rigoberto Acosta-Calles, 36, of El Salvador, and Elmer Geovany Sarmiento-Sifrian, 32, of Honduras, were charged with illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Another group of defendants was accused of being aliens in possession of firearms. This group includes Elmer David Hernandez-Garcia, 39, of Honduras, Christian Ivan Sanchez, 36, of Mexico, Jhoan Jesus Rodriguez-Perez, 21, of Mexico, and Orli Umberto Marquez-Cordon, 24, of Mexico. Maria Monserrat de Jesus Bautista-Hernandez, 41, of Mexico, faces charges for illegal re-entry after a prior removal and for being an alien in possession of a firearm.
These legal actions are a part of Operation Take Back America, a broad initiative involving the Department of Justice. Designed to address illegal immigration, this operation targets the elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and aims to protect communities from violent crime. Resources are drawn from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood. Partners in the investigation include Homeland Security Investigations in Atlanta, U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Houston Division, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Nashville Field Division.
It is important to note, "An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty."