A Mexican national has been sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for unlawfully reentering the United States, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Abelino Hernandez-Torres, a 26-year-old convicted felon, pleaded guilty on November 26, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera issued the sentence, and Hernandez-Torres is expected to face removal proceedings after serving his time due to his non-citizen status. His criminal history includes convictions for illegal reentry, evading arrest with a motor vehicle, and assaulting a public servant. Hernandez-Torres was initially ordered removed from the United States in 2015 and again in subsequent years but returned illegally each time.
He was apprehended in Olmito following an arrest on January 20, 2021, for evading arrest with a motor vehicle. After sentencing, he will be transferred to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility yet to be determined.
The investigation was conducted by Immigration Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana C. Cano prosecuted the case.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America, which aims to combat illegal immigration and dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators. The initiative consolidates efforts from the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
