A 28-year-old man from El Salvador, Ronald Alberto Rivas-Aguilar, has been sentenced to 23 months in federal prison for unlawfully reentering the United States after being removed. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei of the Southern District of Texas.
Rivas-Aguilar pleaded guilty on November 10, 2025. He is not a U.S. citizen and is expected to face removal proceedings again after serving his sentence. During the sentencing hearing, additional details about his criminal history while in the country illegally were presented.
“Rivas-Aguilar pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit murder, was convicted, and removed from the United States—and still, he came back,” said Ganjei. “Gang members who believe that a prior removal is nothing more than an inconvenience should look carefully at what is happening in the Southern District of Texas. Working with our law enforcement partners, we will ensure that you never have the chance to bring your violence back into our country."
In 2016, Rivas and another member of MS-13 conspired to kill a rival gang member in Fort Bend County. According to court records, Rivas transported the victim to Buffalo Run Park where he tied the victim’s ankles with shoelaces before a coconspirator killed him with a machete. After pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, Rivas was deported to El Salvador.
Authorities encountered Rivas again during a traffic stop in July 2025 and took him into custody for reentering the country illegally.
He remains in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
The investigation was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Valenti and Amanda Alum prosecuted the case.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America, an initiative aimed at using all available resources of the Department of Justice against illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations.
The Southern District of Texas covers 43 counties with offices located in Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Laredo, McAllen and Brownsville as described on its official website. The office employs over 200 attorneys serving more than nine million people across these regions (source). The district's main responsibilities include prosecuting federal crimes and handling civil cases involving government interests (source). Notable former leaders include Alamdar Hamdani (2022–2025) and Ryan Patrick (history page).
