The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland has announced a series of recent prosecutions tied to the Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America, a national effort targeting illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and violent crime.
Operation Take Back America is described as a nationwide initiative that uses the resources of the DOJ to combat illegal immigration, dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime.
On December 2, 2025, Anderson Martinez-Montenegro and Elmer Ortiz-Berduo, both Guatemalan nationals unlawfully present in the United States, were charged with resisting arrest and assaulting federal officers.
On November 24, 2025, Jairo Eliu Aguilar-Lopez of El Salvador was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Adam B. Abelson to 15 months in federal prison followed by one year of supervised release for illegally reentering the country after being deported twice previously.
Cristian Rivas-Bonilla, also from El Salvador, was charged on November 14 with resisting and interfering with federal law enforcement officers while subject to removal under a final order from an immigration judge.
Sarah Maud Jess, a Jamaican national residing in Capitol Heights, Maryland, received a five-year federal prison sentence on October 30 for distributing more than 40 grams of fentanyl and re-entering the United States after conviction for an aggravated felony.
A federal grand jury indicted Luis Melendez Serrano; Kevin Melendez Serrano; Alex Pena Martinez; and William Rivera Nolasco on October 16 for conspiring to traffic firearms. The indictment states that Luis Melendez Serrano and Martinez are illegal aliens who possessed firearms unlawfully. Additionally, three defendants face charges related to methamphetamine distribution.
Francisco Reymundo-Reymundo of Guatemala was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox on October 2 to eight months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his third conviction related to illegal reentry into the United States. Court records show he had been deported four times previously.
U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes recognized the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys and support staff involved in these cases.
"U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the Maryland Office’s Assistant U.S. Attorneys and support staff for their work in these investigations."
More details about priorities or community resources offered by the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office can be found at justice.gov/usao-md or justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
