A Honduran national has received a sentence for illegally reentering the United States after having been deported twice before. Tomas Rivera-Melgar, aged 39, was encountered by agents from United States Border Patrol and Homeland Security while working at a construction site. Officials determined that Rivera-Melgar had been previously removed from the country in 2011 and 2016. He has prior convictions for illegal entry, driving while intoxicated, and assault causing bodily injury.
In court, Chief Judge Beaverstock issued a time-served sentence and a 1-year term of supervised release for Rivera-Melgar upon his future release. He has been in custody since his arrest on February 26, 2025. Following his time in prison, Rivera-Melgar is to be handed over to immigration officials for deportation proceedings. He was also ordered to pay $100 in special assessments.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama. The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Border Patrol, and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tandice Blackwood prosecuted the case for the United States.