Federal prosecutors in San Antonio say a grand jury has indicted Franklin Ulises Rodriguez-Rivas, a Salvadoran national, on charges that he kidnapped and harbored an undocumented person while living in the United States. San Antonio police arrested Rodriguez-Rivas on Feb. 19, and he made his first appearance in federal court the next day. The indictment also includes a count of illegal re-entry, according to court filings.
What prosecutors say
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas, investigators with ICE Homeland Security Investigations and the San Antonio Police Department allege that Rodriguez-Rivas held an illegal alien for ransom while harboring that person in the city. Prosecutors say a federal grand jury returned the indictment on March 20, following a Feb. 19 search warrant and arrest that kicked off the joint probe.
Charges and penalties
Rodriguez-Rivas is charged with one count of harboring illegal aliens, one count of kidnapping, and one count of illegal re-entry. Under federal law, kidnapping can be punished by any term of years or life in prison under 18 U.S.C. § 1201, as described by Cornell Law School. The harboring statute, 8 U.S.C. § 1324, can carry penalties of up to 10 years in prison in many cases, according to Cornell Law School.
Federal crackdown and local partners
Officials say the case is being brought under Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative that focuses federal resources on human smuggling and transnational criminal organizations. ICE-HSI worked the investigation with the San Antonio Police Department, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karina O’Daniel is prosecuting the case, and if Rodriguez-Rivas is convicted, a federal judge will decide his sentence.
What happens next
Rodriguez-Rivas made his initial appearance in federal court on Feb. 20 and remains in the criminal process as the case moves forward. An indictment is only an accusation, and he is presumed innocent unless and until the government proves the charges beyond a reasonable doubt in court. The district court will set the schedule for any upcoming hearings and an arraignment date.
