A 28-year-old El Salvadoran national tied to MS-13 will spend nearly two years in federal prison after slipping back into the United States following a prior murder-related conviction, according to federal prosecutors in Houston.
Authorities identified the man as Ronald Alberto Rivas‑Aguilar, who had previously pleaded guilty in 2016 to a conspiracy to kill a rival, then was removed from the country.
Sentence And Plea
Rivas‑Aguilar pleaded guilty on Nov. 10, 2025, to unlawfully reentering the United States. U.S. District Judge Charles R. Eskridge handed down a 23‑month federal sentence. After he serves that time, immigration authorities are expected to restart removal proceedings.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations unit led the investigation, and prosecutors presented evidence of Rivas‑Aguilar’s criminal history at sentencing, according to the United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas.
U.S. Attorney's Comment
“Rivas‑Aguilar pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit murder, was convicted, and removed from the United States, and still, he came back,” U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei said, warning that returning gang members should pay attention to prosecutions in the district.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office highlighted the case on X as part of its local enforcement push. The office’s statement appears in a post from @usao_sdtx on X.
Case Background
Prosecutors say the 2016 plot in Fort Bend County involved Rivas‑Aguilar transporting a victim to Buffalo Run Park, where the victim’s ankles were bound and a co‑conspirator beat the victim to death with a machete. Rivas‑Aguilar pleaded guilty in that case and was removed to El Salvador.
Authorities say he later returned to the United States without authorization and surfaced again during a traffic stop in July 2025. Federal agents then took him into custody, as detailed by the United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas.
Enforcement In Houston
Federal officials have been steadily turning up the pressure on MS‑13 in the Houston area. Prosecutors in recent years have brought racketeering and murder cases tied to the gang, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has also reported that its Houston office recently arrested hundreds of confirmed gang members in coordinated operations, Univision Houston reported.
Legal Note
Unlawful reentry cases are prosecuted under 8 U.S.C. § 1326. A basic conviction under that statute carries a maximum of two years in prison, although penalties increase when a prior removal followed certain serious criminal convictions. Whether those enhancements apply depends on how the earlier offense is classified under federal law, including whether it counts as a felony or aggravated felony.
Rivas‑Aguilar remains in federal custody while he awaits transfer to a Bureau of Prisons facility. After he finishes his sentence, immigration authorities are expected to again seek his removal from the country. Prosecutors say the case is part of an ongoing push in the Southern District of Texas to disrupt violent transnational gangs and to keep people convicted of serious violent crimes out of U.S. communities.
