Sean P. Costello U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama
Several individuals were sentenced in federal court on March 20 as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice targeting illegal immigration. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Jose Abisai Padilla-Galeano, 26, from Honduras, received a sentence of 15 months in prison for illegally reentering the United States after previous deportations. In a separate case, Pedro Guerrero-Rocha, 27, from Mexico, was sentenced to 18 months for the same offense.
The cases are part of broader efforts to address illegal immigration and related criminal activity through collaboration between federal agencies and local law enforcement. The operation aims not only to enforce immigration laws but also to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
Court documents show that Padilla-Galeano was arrested on October 11, 2025 by Foley Police Department officers for drug-related offenses and DUI before Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took custody following his release on bond. He had been previously deported four times and convicted twice for illegal reentry. After serving his sentence, he will be transferred to immigration authorities for further proceedings.
Guerrero-Rocha was stopped by Saraland Police Department on October 20, 2025 for a traffic violation; Border Patrol determined he had been deported six times previously and arrested him again for illegal presence in the country. Guerrero had prior convictions including driving while intoxicated with a child under fifteen in Texas in 2019 and another conviction for illegal reentry in 2023.
Other recent prosecutions include Luis Antonio Aguilar-Bedolla from Mexico; Nehemias Pelico-Cutz from Guatemala; Javier Hernandez-Juarez from Mexico; Tulio Miguel Mendez-Aguriano from Honduras; Jose Jorge Xocua Sandoval from Mexico; and Jesus Villanueva-Gallegos from Mexico—all convicted or sentenced on charges related to illegal reentry after previous deportations following encounters with various state or local law enforcement agencies across Alabama.
All defendants have been ordered transferred to immigration officials upon completion of their sentences or time served terms and must pay $100 each as special assessments.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin D. Kopf prosecuted these cases with investigative support provided by multiple federal agencies including ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol (USBP), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), along with several state police departments.
