In a recent enforcement action that underscores the ongoing debate on immigration law and policy, Honduran national Erik Roberto Machado-Mencia, also known as "Roberto Machado-Mencia," has been indicted on charges of re-entering the United States after a previous deportation. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the 36-year-old was found in the U.S. on May 15, which led to his indictment the following day, yesterday.
The charges against Machado-Mencia carry potential penalties of up to two years in prison, a fine up to $250,000, as well as up to one year of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. In the announcement of the indictment, Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson stated on U.S. Attorney's Office, "an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt."
Machado-Mencia's case is part of Operation Take Back America – a federal initiative targeting issues of illegal immigration and criminal activities related to cartels and transnational criminal organizations. This operation combines the efforts of the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) in a concerted effort to mitigate what the Department of Justice terms an 'invasion' of illegal immigration and its associated threats.
Recognizing the efforts of law enforcement, Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson lauded the United States Border Patrol for their role in investigating the case at hand, assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. is leading the prosecution.
