A Honduran national, Edgardo Amador-Rodriguez, aged 29, has entered a guilty plea to the federal crime of illegally re-entering the United States after deportation, as per the announcement from Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson. The indictment, which culminated in Amador-Rodriguez's guilty plea on May 13, charges him under Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a). The sentencing is currently scheduled for June 17, before U.S. District Judge Brandon S. Long, according to a statement released by the Department of Justice.
Details emerging from the courtroom document Amador-Rodriguez's journey back into the United States following his previous deportation on June 8, 2018. It was on December 22, 2024, when Amador-Rodriguez became ensnared in the justice system once more, booked into the Orleans Justice Center on several state charges. Subsequently, The Pacific Enforcement Response Center set forth a detainer for Amador-Rodriguez, post his arrest in Jefferson Parish on municipal and traffic attachments March 5, 2023. Following his release from local custody, the Enforcement and Removal Operations in New Orleans took custody of Amador-Rodriguez on March 7,, ultimately returning him to immigration authorities.
The charges confronting Amador-Rodriguez carry a potential penalty of up to two years in prison, a fine that could reach as high as $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and an obligatory special assessment fee of $100.00. His case falls under the broad umbrella of Operation Take Back America, a far-reaching federal initiative that consolidates efforts across the Department of Justice. The goal of this initiative is to aggressively confront illegal immigration, dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and safeguard communities from violent crime offenders.
This concerted crackdown leverages resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson commended the collaborative investigative efforts of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution of Amador-Rodriguez's case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit, as reported by the Department of Justice.
