A Mexican national, Erik Sel Camacho-Lara, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison for firearm possession and illegal re-entry into the United States after deportation. The sentencing was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi and Eric P. DeLaune, Special Agent-in-Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.
Camacho-Lara, aged 31, was arrested by the Ridgeland Police Department following a report from a minor at a residence in Ridgeland. The minor indicated that Camacho-Lara was armed and might have discharged a firearm inside the home. Officers entered the home and found Camacho-Lara with a handgun, which he surrendered after interacting with law enforcement.
The United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations took over the investigation, confirming through biometric verification that Camacho-Lara had been previously deported on April 2, 2013, by U.S. Border Patrol Agents in Texas. He pleaded guilty to the charges on March 6, 2025.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Goff prosecuted the case with support from Homeland Security Investigations and the Ridgeland Police Department.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America under the Mississippi Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), an initiative aimed at addressing illegal immigration and criminal organizations. The operation is supported by joint efforts from various federal agencies including those established under Executive Order 14159 by President Trump.
