DEKALB COUNTY, Ala. — A Mexican citizen has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for illegally re-entering the United States after deportation, U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona announced.
United States District Judge Corey L. Maze handed down the sentence to Eberardo Yovany Peralta-Cazales, 34, who previously pleaded guilty to illegal re-entry after deportation.
Court records show that Peralta-Cazales was first removed from the U.S. on November 11, 2015. He was found back in the country on September 21, 2023, and deported again on September 29, 2023.
Less than a year after his second removal, Peralta-Cazales was arrested in DeKalb County on charges including five counts of second-degree rape and four counts of second-degree sodomy, all allegedly involving a 12-year-old girl. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE/ERO) was notified, and he was transferred into federal custody.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations in partnership with the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara M. Judah.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide DOJ initiative aimed at addressing illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protecting communities from violent crime.
