Jose Adilio Anaya-Alas, a 36-year-old citizen of El Salvador, has been charged by federal indictment with illegally reentering the United States after being previously deported, according to an announcement made by U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe on Apr. 22.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address illegal immigration and enforce existing laws regarding individuals who have been removed from the country.
According to the indictment, Anaya-Alas was removed from the United States twice in 2015—on September 16 and again on November 19—by immigration authorities. He was found in the Middle District of Florida on March 25, 2026, where he was arrested after records checks showed he had not sought permission from U.S. immigration authorities to lawfully return following his previous removals.
The investigation involved both the Florida Highway Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown is prosecuting the case.
Officials noted that an indictment is a formal charge and that "every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty." If convicted of illegal reentry after deportation, Anaya-Alas faces up to two years in federal prison as well as subsequent deportation and removal from the United States.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration, eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protecting communities from violent crime and human trafficking.
