A federal grand jury has issued a three-count indictment against Edgar Javier Castillo-Rodriguez, a 53-year-old Mexican national. He is charged with illegal re-entry into the United States after being removed and for falsely representing a Social Security number. Castillo-Rodriguez has appeared for arraignment and entered a plea of not guilty.
Court documents outline that Castillo-Rodriguez, who had previously been deported from the United States in 1996 near Brownsville, Texas, and in 2000 near El Paso, Texas, re-entered the country by October 29, 2024, without securing the required approval from the Attorney General or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
On the same date in 2024, Castillo-Rodriguez allegedly falsely represented a Social Security number to the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office that was not allocated to him by the Commissioner of Social Security. Additionally, on April 21, 2023, he is accused of using a false Social Security number with a potential employer.
This investigation involves multiple agencies, including the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Department of Homeland Security, Social Security Administration, Gonzales Police Department, Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Louisiana State Police. The prosecution is led by Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy S. Johnson.
The charges against Castillo-Rodriguez are part of "Operation Take Back America," a broad initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at curbing illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely an accusation. Castillo-Rodriguez, like any defendant, is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
