KC Reporter

Two individuals have been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegal re-entry into the United States. The cases were filed separately this week in Jefferson City, Missouri.

Fernando Herrera-Cruz, a Mexican national previously deported on March 30, 2022, faces charges of illegal re-entry. On March 18, 2025, Herrera-Cruz was discovered in the United States in Camden County, Missouri. He was apprehended for driving without a valid driver's license following a single-vehicle accident. Authorities state he did not obtain permission from the Attorney General or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to return to the United States.

Guadalupe De Jesus Aldana Sandoval, also known as "Edgar Navarro Melendez," an El Salvadoran national, was similarly charged. Following his deportation on November 13, 2009, Sandoval re-entered the United States without permission. He was located in Pettis County, Missouri, on March 25, 2025.

These charges remain as accusations, not evidence of guilt. It will be the responsibility of a federal trial jury to determine the defendants' guilt or innocence. The investigations in both cases were conducted by ICE Homeland Security Investigations.

Both cases fall under Operation Take Back America, an initiative aimed at countering illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and safeguarding communities from violent crime.