A 49-year-old man from El Trapiche, Guerrero, Mexico, has admitted to illegally reentering the United States. This announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Angel Zavaleta-Rodriguez had been deported from the United States in August 2000 but returned unlawfully. He was removed again on November 13, 2023, but authorities found him once more on March 25 in Harlingen. He had been living illegally in Sebastian.
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera accepted Zavaleta-Rodriguez’s guilty plea and scheduled sentencing for September 7. He could face up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
Zavaleta-Rodriguez remains in custody until the sentencing hearing.
The investigation was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations along with the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Coronado is handling the prosecution.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America, an initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators. The operation coordinates efforts from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
