A Guatemalan man who illegally reentered the United States was sentenced on July 23 to eight months in federal prison. Rigoberto Corado-Hernandes, age 63, who had been residing illegally in Rock Valley, Iowa, received the sentence after pleading guilty on May 20 to one count of illegal reentry.
At his hearings, Corado-Hernandes admitted that he returned to the United States without permission after being previously removed from the country twice. He had earlier been convicted in Sioux County, Iowa, in 2024 for domestic abuse assault, first offense with a dangerous weapon. The conviction stemmed from an incident where he attempted to stab his nephew with a knife. Immigration officials located him at the Sioux County jail on January 13 while he was held for a probation violation related to his previous sentence. Officials determined that Corado-Hernandes is a citizen of Guatemala and has no legal status in the United States.
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand handed down the sentence in Sioux City. In addition to eight months’ imprisonment, Corado-Hernandes must serve one year of supervised release following his prison term. There is no parole available under the federal system.
Corado-Hernandes remains in custody with the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and investigated by both the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, described as “a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.”
The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa covers 52 counties across more than 25,120 square miles and advocates for approximately 1.3 million Iowans through prosecuting federal crimes such as this case; it also manages civil litigation for the U.S government and collects federal debts with more than 20 assistant attorneys among its staff of about 60 employees as part of its role within the U.S Department of Justice.