Mexican national, illegally living in Angelina County, guilty of unlawfully returning to the United States

BEAUMONT, Texas -A Mexican national, illegally living in Diboll, has pleaded guilty to unlawfully returning to the United States, announced Eastern District of Texas Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

Eduardo Barajas-Macias, 32, pleaded guilty to illegal reentry by a previously deported alien before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christine L. Stetson on August 13, 2025.

According to information presented in court, Barajas-Macias was located in Diboll on March 26, 2024, after an investigation revealed he had been previously deported from the United States to Mexico in 2023.

Barajas-Macias faces up to 2 years in federal prison and deportation at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; FBI; and Angelina County Sheriff's Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Carter.