PROVIDENCE, RI – Just months after being booted from the United States, Rigoberto Cano Perez, 28, found himself back in federal court, sentenced today for the brazen act of illegally reentering the country. The case underscores a revolving door problem plaguing the system and raises questions about the effectiveness of deportation efforts.
Perez, a national of Guatemala, was originally removed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on November 20, 2024, following a conviction in Rhode Island state court in December 2023. The original charges? Simple assault and/or battery, alongside disorderly conduct – hardly a clean record to begin with. Apparently, a stint outside the country wasn’t enough to straighten things out.
The feds caught onto Perez’s return the hard way. On May 12, 2025, a routine biometric fingerprint scan through the National Crime Information Center flagged him during an arrest in Rhode Island. This time, the charges were even more disturbing: violating a domestic no-contact order and another count of domestic disorderly conduct. A pattern of violence and disregard for the law is emerging.
U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose handed down the sentence of time served today, a relatively light penalty considering the layers of offenses. However, Perez won’t be walking free. ICE has lodged an immigration detainer, meaning they’ll be taking custody of him once he’s finished serving his time, presumably for another deportation attempt.
Assistant United States Attorneys Taylor A. Dean and Peter I. Roklan prosecuted the case, backed by an investigation from ICE agents. The entire operation falls under the umbrella of “Operation Take Back America,” a nationwide initiative with a hefty mandate: to crush illegal immigration, dismantle cartels, and protect communities from violent criminals. It’s a bold claim, and cases like Perez’s beg the question of whether the operation is truly making a dent.
“Operation Take Back America” reportedly streamlines resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). While the feds tout a tough-on-crime stance, the fact that Perez was able to re-enter the country and quickly re-offend suggests significant vulnerabilities in the enforcement system. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and expose the cracks in the system that allow individuals like Perez to repeatedly cycle through arrest, deportation, and illegal reentry.
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Related Federal Cases
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- Machete Man Ryder Gets 36 Months for BankRI Heist · Rhode Island
Key Facts
- State: Rhode Island
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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