Deported Honduran Busted on I-12

⏱ 2 min read

A routine traffic stop on Interstate 12 just became a federal case. Elvin Leonardo Oliva-Rodriguez, a 37-year-old Honduran national, is facing charges for sneaking back into the United States, despite being kicked out in 2014. The bust went down while he was driving westbound, and Border Patrol quickly discovered he wasn’t supposed to be here.

Records show Oliva-Rodriguez was deported to Honduras on February 28, 2014, after an arrest in McAllen, Texas. Now, he’s facing the consequences of defying that order. An indictment was handed down March 13, 2026, alleging he knowingly re-entered the country illegally.

If convicted, Oliva-Rodriguez could spend up to two years behind bars, plus rack up a $250,000 fine and a year of supervised release. Federal prosecutors are being careful to note an indictment isn’t a conviction – they still have to prove their case in court.

This case is being pitched as part of “Operation Take Back America,” the Department of Justice’s latest push to crack down on illegal immigration and what they claim are transnational criminal networks. Homeland Security Investigations and Customs Enforcement Border Protection led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Spiro G. Latsis is on the prosecution team.