Honduran National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry in Oklahoma

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – Another border crosser bites the dust. Benjamin Vasquez-Hernandez, a 53-year-old Honduran national illegally present in Muskogee, Oklahoma, admitted guilt to one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The plea carries a potential sentence of up to two years behind bars and a hefty fine of up to $250,000.00.

Federal prosecutors say Vasquez-Hernandez, also known as Benjamin Vasquez and Benjamin Santiago Vasquez, was caught on July 31, 2025, back within U.S. borders despite being previously deported on September 13, 2019. He hadn’t bothered to get permission from the Secretary of Homeland Security to even apply to re-enter, a clear violation of federal law.

The bust was the result of an investigation spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division. While ICE rarely comments on individual cases, sources within the agency confirm a continued push to identify and remove individuals with prior deportation orders. This case, however, is being touted as part of something bigger.

The Department of Justice is framing this prosecution as part of “Operation Take Back America,” a nationwide initiative designed to “repel the invasion of illegal immigration,” as they bluntly put it. The operation aims to dismantle cartels, transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and generally protect communities from violent crime – all while leveraging resources from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Whether this is genuine law enforcement or political grandstanding remains to be seen.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Gerald L. Jackson accepted the guilty plea and has ordered a presentence investigation report to be prepared. A U.S. District Court Judge will ultimately decide Vasquez-Hernandez’s fate, taking into account federal sentencing guidelines and other legal factors. For now, Vasquez-Hernandez remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service, cooling his heels while awaiting his sentencing hearing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Dak T. Cohen prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. This conviction represents another small victory in the ongoing, and often messy, battle over border security and immigration enforcement. Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the broader implications of Operation Take Back America.

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