Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office Reports on Prosecutions Under Operation Take Back America

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland has announced recent prosecutions related to the Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America, an initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and protecting communities from violent crime. These prosecutions include individuals facing charges for illegal re-entry into the United States and resisting arrest, with several cases involving citizens of El Salvador and Honduras.

In one notable case, Cristian Rivas-Bonilla, a 27-year-old citizen of El Salvador, was sentenced to time served by U.S. Magistrate Judge Ajmel A. Quereshi. Rivas-Bonilla had previously been subject to a final order of removal from an immigration judge. He pleaded guilty to resisting, opposing, impeding, and interfering with federal law enforcement officers. The incident occurred in November 2025 when law enforcement officers attempted to locate Rivas-Bonilla in Camp Springs, Maryland, and he engaged them in a high-speed car chase in an effort to evade apprehension.

The office also announced that Willians Elenilson Beltran-Quintanilla, a 39-year-old El Salvadorian citizen, has pleaded guilty to illegal re-entry into the United States. Court documents indicate that Beltran-Quintanilla was found in Prince George’s County, Maryland, in December 2023, after having previously been removed from the country.

Further underscoring the scope of Operation Take Back America, a 45-year-old national of El Salvador, identified as Kevin Mendez Vasquez, also known as Kevin Estix Lara Henriquez, has been indicted on charges of illegally re-entering the United States. His indictment stems from prior convictions for burglary, grand larceny, and abduction, which were connected to three home invasions in Fairfax County, Virginia. Mendez Vasquez was arrested by ICE law enforcement officers in Elkridge, Maryland, in January 2026 while they were conducting a vehicle investigation.

Additionally, a criminal complaint has been filed against another El Salvadorian national, Juan Carlos Rivas-Montano, 45, in connection with illegal re-entry charges. Authorities received a tip in December 2025 that Rivas-Montano was working in Hyattsville, Maryland. Following confirmation, law enforcement took him into custody. Rivas-Montano has reportedly been deported from the U.S. on two prior occasions.

The indictments also include individuals from Honduras. Samuel Rios-Rodriguez, 33, a citizen and national of Honduras, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of illegal re-entry into the U.S. According to the indictment, Rios-Rodriguez was previously removed from the United States in November 2017 and was subsequently found in the District of Maryland after an arrest in December 2022.

In a separate case, Carlos Amador Lopez, 29, a citizen and national of Honduras, has been indicted for illegal re-entry into the U.S. following an aggravated felony conviction and prior removal. Law enforcement encountered Lopez again in the District of Maryland in December 2025.

These prosecutions are part of Operation Take Back America, a national effort by the Department of Justice to address illegal immigration, dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and enhance community safety. The U.S. Attorney’s Office acknowledged the collaborative efforts of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in these investigations.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.

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