The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana has recently ramped up immigration prosecutions, resulting in the sentencing of three individuals on charges ranging from illegal weapon possession to illegal reentry after removal, as reported by the Department of Justice. Gerson Enrique Cisneros, 20, from El Salvador, was handed a two-year prison sentence for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, along with two years of supervised release.
Another case involved Josue Miguel Perez-Perez, 41, a Mexican national, who was sentenced to six months imprisonment and three years of supervised release for illegal reentry of a removed alien. Similarly, Rosario Valencia-Ambrosio, 36, also from Mexico, received a 23-month imprisonment sentence for the same charge. Each case was distinct, concerning different individuals and evidence. In an operation late at night, Evansville police uncovered Cisneros with a loaded weapon and an extended magazine after investigating shots fired in the area.
These sentencings are not isolated incidents but part of a broader initiative called Operation Take Back America. This ambitious strategy engages resources from across the Department of Justice, including the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), aiming to combat illegal immigration, disband cartels, and curb transnational crime.
"Criminal aliens that habitually cross into our country illegally and endanger our communities must face consequences," stated Tom Wheeler, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, highlighting the broader posture of his office. "We will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to enforce our Nation's immigration laws and hold these repeat offenders fully accountable for their actions." Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the threat posed by "these three violent criminal aliens" to public safety and neighborhoods.
The investigations leading to these convictions involved multiple law enforcement agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Immigration Customs and Enforcement, and the Evansville Police Department. Cisneros, Perez-Perez, and Valencia-Ambrosio all pleaded guilty and acknowledged that their sentences will likely be followed by removal from the United States.
