El Salvadorian National Convicted in Texas for Illegal Re-Entry

A 60-year-old El Salvadorian national, Her Onan Cienfuegos-Rivas, was convicted Monday in federal court in Brownsville, Texas, on charges of illegal re-entry after deportation, according to U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. The conviction comes after a one-day trial that ended with the jury deliberating for less than an hour before returning a guilty verdict.

Cienfuegos-Rivas was found in McAllen, Texas, after previously being deported following a 1989 cocaine possession conviction in California. Immigration authorities confirmed he had no legal right to re-enter the United States, marking this offense a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

On March 19, 2019, Cienfuegos-Rivas turned himself in to U.S. Border Patrol agents near Rio Grande City. He claimed he had crossed the border on a raft and was held against his will in stash houses while being shuttled toward California in an attempt to visit family. He said he ultimately called Border Patrol to pick him up because he ‘just wanted to go home.’

His defense team argued during trial that he was not in the U.S. voluntarily, citing alleged coercion and confinement in human smuggling operations. But prosecutors dismantled the claim, presenting evidence that Cienfuegos-Rivas had knowingly re-entered the country despite prior deportation orders.

The jury was not persuaded by the defense’s argument and found Her Onan Cienfuegos-Rivas guilty as charged. U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera presided over the trial and scheduled sentencing for August 21, 2019. Cienfuegos-Rivas remains in federal custody pending sentencing.

The investigation was conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection with assistance from Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin S. Dinsdale and Paul Marian prosecuted the case, reinforcing federal efforts to crack down on illegal re-entry, particularly by individuals with prior drug convictions.