A 59-year-old Mexican national, Rigoberto Herrera-Rodriguez, of Rains County, Texas, has been charged with federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Herrera-Rodriguez faces charges of illegally reentering the United States after being deported, as well as possessing a firearm while an illegal alien.
A federal grand jury filed an indictment this week alleging that Herrera-Rodriguez was illegally present in the United States on June 4, 2025, and in possession of a firearm. He was already deported to Mexico in December 2024. The investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide program by the Department of Justice to combat illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations, stated the press release.
Herrera-Rodriguez, if convicted, faces up to 15 years in federal prison and deportation.
The FBI is investigating the case, and Assistant US Attorney Dustin Farahnak is prosecuting it. It is crucial to understand that a federal indictment does not constitute proof of guilt, and all defendants are deemed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.