Following a coordinated law enforcement effort under the banner of Operation Take Back America, six individuals have been indicted on federal offenses that go beyond illegal entry into the United States. The charges they face include illegal reentry after removal and various firearms violations. U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson made the announcement of the indictments which took place earlier this month.
Among those indicted, Santo Antonio Barradas-Leon, also known as Santos Antonio Leon-Barredas, hailing from Mexico, is charged as an aggravated felon for his reentry into the United States. Previously removed in 2009 and 2020, Barradas-Leon found himself under arrest once more on March 9, 2025, by the Union County Sheriff's Office. Alongside him, four other individuals are accused of similar crimes, putting a spotlight again on the intersection of immigration and law enforcement.
As reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Ruben Duran-Mercado, Deyvi Carlos Perez Morales, and Jairo Ernesto Perry Santos are each charged with illegal reentry. The latter, a 40-year-old Honduran, is still at large with an arrest warrant issued. Eusebio Fuentes-Soto and Raul Bello Rojas, both Mexican nationals, face the more severe allegations of possessing firearms and, for Rojas, drug trafficking-related offenses.
These indictments stem from Operation Take Back America's broader objective to combat illegal immigration and dismantle transnational criminal organizations. Commended by Ferguson were the Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Emergency Removal Operations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for their investigative efforts. The local law enforcement agencies like the Union County Sheriff’s Office, the Marshville Police Department, and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, were also hailed for their role in apprehending the named individuals.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are taking the lead to prosecute these cases. Despite the presumption of innocence being a legal right unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law, the dialogue surrounding these cases continues to be charged with the weight of national security and enforcement.
