A Mexican national residing illegally in Rains County, Texas, has been federally indicted for immigration and firearm violations. The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Rigoberto Herrera-Rodriguez, aged 59, faces a two-count indictment issued by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas. He is charged with reentering the United States illegally after deportation and possessing a firearm as an illegal alien.
The indictment details that on June 4, 2025, Herrera-Rodriguez was discovered unlawfully present in the U.S. and found with a firearm. He had previously been deported to Mexico in December 2024.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America, an initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs). It involves collaboration between the Department of Justice's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
If convicted, Herrera-Rodriguez could face up to 15 years in federal prison followed by deportation.
The FBI is conducting the investigation while Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Farahnak is handling prosecution.
It is important to note that a federal indictment does not constitute evidence of guilt; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
