Illegal Alien Arrested in February Now Faces Kidnapping, Harboring Illegal Alien Charges in San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO - A federal grand jury in San Antonio returned an indictment charging a Salvadoran national with kidnapping and harboring illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.

According to court documents, Franklin Ulises Rodriguez-Rivas was arrested by the San Antonio Police Department on Feb. 19. Having been previously convicted of illegal re-entry and removed from the U.S. in March 2022, Rodriguez-Rivas was again charged with illegal re-entry via criminal complaint.

A joint investigation by ICE Homeland Security Investigations and SAPD revealed that while residing illegally in the U.S., Rodriguez-Rivas allegedly harbored an illegal alien and held the alien for ransom.

Rodriguez-Rivas is now charged with one count of harboring illegal aliens, one count of kidnapping, and one count of illegal re-entry. The defendant made his initial court appearance on Feb. 20 following his arrest. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison for the harboring and re-entry charges, and up to life in prison for the kidnapping charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

ICE HSI is investigating the case with assistance from SAPD.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Karina O'Daniel is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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