U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo has confirmed that Juan Vera-Cervantes, a 45-year-old Mexican national, has pleaded guilty to illegal reentry into the United States after previously being deported several times. U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa sentenced Vera-Cervantes to time served before his transfer to U.S. Border Patrol.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Testani reported that Border Patrol agents noticed Vera-Cervantes' white cargo van on February 25, 2025, traveling on the I-490 with a Tennessee license plate. A license plate check confirmed Vera-Cervantes as the vehicle's registered owner, noting his multiple prior deportations and reinstated final order of removal on three separate occasions. During a traffic stop, Vera-Cervantes stated he was a Mexican citizen without legal immigration documents for the United States. He was subsequently administratively detained.
This case falls under the Department of Justice's Operation Take Back America, which aims to address illegal immigration, eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and safeguard communities from violent crime perpetrators.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol, led by Patrol Agent in Charge Juan Ramirez.
