A Dominican national who had previously been deported twice from the United States was sentenced in federal court for illegal reentry, according to an announcement from Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Celso Herrera-De Los Santos, 49, was first deported in 2011 and again in 2017. He came to the attention of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in May during a routine screening at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI), where he was being held on Rhode Island state charges related to cocaine possession with intent to deliver.
Herrera-De Los Santos has been detained in federal custody since his arraignment on June 23, 2025. U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose sentenced him to time served. ICE has lodged an immigration detainer against him.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter I. Roklan, with assistance from Assistant United States Attorney Dulce Donovan. The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
According to the Department of Justice, this case is part of Operation Take Back America, which is a nationwide initiative aimed at addressing illegal immigration and targeting cartels and transnational criminal organizations through collaboration between multiple agencies such as the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
