A Mexican national residing illegally in Diboll, Texas, has pleaded guilty to returning to the United States after a prior deportation. The announcement was made by Jay R. Combs, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas.
Eduardo Barajas-Macias, 32, entered his guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christine L. Stetson on August 13, 2025. According to court records, authorities found Barajas-Macias in Diboll on March 26, 2024. An investigation determined that he had previously been deported to Mexico in 2023.
Barajas-Macias could face up to two years in federal prison and subsequent deportation following sentencing. The statutory maximum sentence is set by Congress; however, the final sentence will be determined by the court using advisory guidelines and other legal factors after a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
“This case is part of Operation Take Back America, 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).”
The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; FBI; and Angelina County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Carter is prosecuting the case.
