Rider Marel Santos-Lara, a 36-year-old Honduran national, has pleaded guilty to unlawful reentry of a removed alien in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The case was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
According to court documents, Santos-Lara was found in Bryan County, Oklahoma on November 17, 2025. He had not obtained permission from the Secretary of Homeland Security to reenter the country after his removal on September 30, 2016. The investigation leading to these charges involved the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
Santos-Lara faces up to two years in prison and a fine that could reach $250,000. He is being held by the United States Marshals Service until sentencing.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at addressing illegal immigration and combating transnational criminal organizations.
The plea was accepted by U.S. Magistrate Judge D. Edward Snow, who ordered a presentence investigation report. Sentencing will be determined by a U.S. District Court Judge after reviewing federal guidelines and statutory considerations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Edith A. Singer represented the government in this case.
