A Del Rio federal judge has slammed a twice-deported Salvadoran national with the statutory maximum of 20 years in federal prison, after finding he illegally re-entered the United States despite prior convictions for sexual offenses against children. Prosecutors say the sentence for Celso Rivas‑Gonzalez is a clear message that repeat offenders who sneak back in after deportation are squarely in their crosshairs. The term was imposed in Del Rio federal court and will be served in the federal prison system.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Texas, Border Patrol agents arrested Rivas‑Gonzalez on July 26, 2025. By then, he had already been deported twice, most recently on Feb. 19, 2025. Prosecutors say his record includes a 2024 conviction for indecency with a child and a 2021 harassment felony that was reduced from an aggravated sexual-assault charge. U.S. District Judge Ernest Gonzalez ultimately handed down the 20-year sentence in February 2026. The U.S. Attorney’s Office later shared news of the case on social media, including on the account U.S. Attorney WDTX on X.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons said “we will hold you to account,” framing the case as proof that his office will seek the harshest available penalties against convicted sexual predators who illegally return to the country. Chief Patrol Agent Anthony S. Good of the Del Rio Sector credited the agents who flagged and detained the defendant, highlighting what he described as effective teamwork among border-enforcement partners. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carli Tuttle and Daisy Gonzalez, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Texas.
Part of a Wider DOJ Enforcement Push
Prosecutors tied the case to a broader Justice Department initiative known as Operation Take Back America, which prioritizes immigration and cartel-related prosecutions. Analysts and border watchers say the operation routes Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and Project Safe Neighborhood resources into aggressive immigration enforcement and repeat-offender cases. WOLA has examined how these shifting priorities are reshaping prosecution patterns along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Legal Note
Under federal law, unlawful re-entry after removal typically carries a maximum of two years, but that ceiling jumps to 10 years if the person has prior felony convictions and to 20 years if the earlier removal followed an aggravated felony. Courts treat those prior convictions as sentence-enhancing facts under 8 U.S.C. § 1326, a structure that has been parsed extensively in court decisions and legal commentary, including by Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute.
The Del Rio sentence lands as the Western District of Texas has brought hundreds of immigration-related prosecutions in recent months, a surge that has thickened court dockets and strained defense and judicial resources in border communities. Prosecutors argue that zeroing in on repeat offenders is central to their public-safety approach, while advocates and legal groups caution that the rapid pace of filings can threaten due process and access to counsel. The FBI and local court filings both reflect the recent uptick in the district.
