Homeland Security Task Force secures sentences for 11 illegal aliens

Submitted by U.S. Attorney’s Office

Eleven illegal immigrants, most who are convicted felons, have been sentenced after pleading guilty to illegal reentry in the Southern District of Indiana.

The prosecutions, involving defendants arrested in Clay, Dubois, Hamilton, Hendricks, and Marion counties, stemmed from separate investigations. Each case was handled independently and concluded between March and August 2026.

• Abemael Casanova-Martinez, 38, Mexico, was sentenced to time served; two prior convictions of illegal entry; prior removals in December 2012 and May 2015.
• Gregorio Castro Carbajal, 45, Mexico, was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment and three years supervised release; prior convictions include driving under the influence of alcohol, resisting a public officer, use of a communication facility in facilitating the commission of felonies under the Controlled Substances Act, public intoxication; prior removals in April 2014 and September 2023.
• Juan Carlos Cordova-Saravia, 56, Mexico, was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment and three years supervised release; prior conviction of unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien illegally in the United States; prior removals in April 2010 and November 2019.
• Nelson Javier Hernandez-Romero, 40, Honduras, was sentenced to time served and one year of supervised release; no prior convictions; prior removal in June 2023.
• Jorge Martinez -Guerrero, 51, Mexico, was sentenced to time served and one year of supervised release; prior conviction of negligent vehicular manslaughter; prior removals in January 1998, April 2006, May 2008, and April 2014.
• Jesus Alberto Mota Limon, 33, Mexico, was sentenced to three years imprisonment and three years of supervised release; prior convictions include possession of methamphetamine, intimidation, and illegal re-entry of a removed alien; prior removals in November 2013, January 2024, and twice in May 2024.
• Juan Ignacio Padron-Salgado, 39, Mexico, was sentenced to 1.5 years imprisonment and three years of supervised release; prior convictions include attempted theft, criminal recklessness committed with a deadly weapon, and domestic battery in the presence of a child; prior removals in July 2005 and May 2015.
• Isau Palencia-Martinez, 46, El Salvador, was sentenced to one year and one day imprisonment; prior conviction of illegal reentry; prior removals in September 2001, October 2011, and October 2014.
• Audel Trujillo Reyes, 59, Mexico, was sentenced to time served and three years of supervised release; prior conviction of illegal reentry; prior removals in March 2007, May 2009, March 2012, April 2012, August 2019, September 2019, December 2019, and April 2021.
• Mario Edgardo Rivas-Hernandez, 60, Honduras, was sentenced to time served and six months of supervised release; prior conviction of dealing in cocaine; prior removals in March 2006 and March 2007
• Jose Francisco Rodriguez Escalera, 52, Mexico, was sentenced to time served; prior convictions include hit and run, possession of cocaine (x2), diving without a valid license, and driving under the influence of alcohol (x2); prior removals in June 2002, August 2009, September 2016, and November 2016.

In 2014, the El Salvadorian National Police identified Isau Palencia-Martinez as a member of Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13.

At the time the defendants entered their guilty pleas, they acknowledged that upon completion of their sentence, they will be subject to removal from the United States. Conditions of supervision require the defendants to surrender to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement upon release from federal custody.

U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith Wood, Matthew Miller, MaryAnn Mindrum, Cristina Caraballo-Colon, Adam Eakman, Peter Blackett, and Zachary Yauger, who prosecuted these cases.

“Violent criminal aliens who repeatedly violate our immigration laws and endanger our communities must face real consequences,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Through Crossroads HSTF, we are unleashing the full force of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of violent illegal aliens and ensure that those who threaten our security face swift and decisive justice.”

These cases are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, “Protecting the American People Against Invasion.”

The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.

HSTF Crossroads of America comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Services, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Indiana National Guard, Indiana State Police, HIDTA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and Plainfield Police Department, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana.