U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo has announced that Juan Vera-Cervantes, aged 45 and a citizen of Mexico, has pleaded guilty to the charge of illegal reentry into the United States following previous deportations. Vera-Cervantes was subsequently sentenced to time served by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa and was handed over to U.S. Border Patrol.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Testani, responsible for the case, detailed that on February 25, 2025, Border Patrol agents identified a white cargo van with a Tennessee license plate traveling on I-490. A check revealed that Vera-Cervantes, who has been deported multiple times, was the registered owner of this vehicle. He had his removal order reinstated three times. During a traffic stop, Vera-Cervantes admitted he is a Mexican national without legal immigration documentation for the United States. Following this admission, he was detained.
This legal action is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative aimed at countering illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and safeguarding communities from violent crime.
The case was an outcome of an investigation led by U.S. Border Patrol under Patrol Agent in Charge Juan Ramirez.