Last Thursday, July 10, 46-year-old Honduran national Marcelo Ordonez-Rivas was indicted by Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for illegally re-entering the United States. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Ordonez-Rivas could face serious charges including a maximum of ten years imprisonment and up to a $250,000 fine if convicted.
In 2016, Ordonez-Rivas had been convicted of violating 8 U.S.C. § 1326, which pertains to the illegal re-entry of removed aliens. Following his sentence, he was deported to Honduras on June 10 of the same year. However, he was found to have illegally re-entered and was subsequently discovered in Jefferson Parish on June 18. Authorities are currently working to swiftly respond and to enforce the laws governing immigration.
These charges come amid Operation Take Back America, an initiative designed to push back against illegal immigration and the criminal activities associated with it. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson said in a statement on U.S. Attorney's Office that the indictment is, "merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt." Operation Take Back America aims to marshal the full resources of the Department of Justice to significantly reduce the influence of cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection has been praised for their investigative efforts in this case. Special Assistant United States Attorney Frederick W. Veters Jr., of the General Crimes Unit, has the responsibility to oversee the prosecution. The suggested penalties also include the possibility of up to three years of supervised release and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, intensifying the measures taken to deter others from attempting to illegally return to the U.S. after deportation.
For those seeking more information on this case, possible future updates will be provided by Shane M. Jones, the Public Information Officer for the United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Louisiana.
