A Honduran national residing illegally in the Lufkin area of East Texas has been indicted for returning to the United States after a previous deportation, according to an announcement from Jay R. Combs, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas.
Edwin Padilla-Cruz, 42, was named in an indictment issued by a federal grand jury this week. The indictment charges him with illegal reentry after removal from the United States.
Authorities allege that Padilla-Cruz was located within the Eastern District of Texas following his earlier deportation. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in federal prison and subsequent deportation.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, which is described as a nationwide effort by the Department of Justice aimed at addressing illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and enhancing community safety.
Homeland Security Investigations is conducting the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Jackson is prosecuting the case.
Officials emphasized that “a federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
