A Dominican national who has previously been deported twice from the United States is facing a third deportation after being sentenced in federal court for illegal reentry. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Celso Herrera-De Los Santos, 49, had been ordered removed from the country in both 2011 and 2017. His latest encounter with authorities occurred in May when Immigration and Customs Enforcement identified him during a routine screening at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) in Rhode Island. At that time, he was being held on state charges related to possession with intent to deliver cocaine.
Herrera-De Los Santos has been detained in federal custody since his arraignment on June 23, 2025. U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose sentenced him to time served. An immigration detainer has been filed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Assistant United States Attorney Peter I. Roklan prosecuted the case with assistance from Assistant United States Attorney Dulce Donovan. The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
According to the press release, "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)."
