Rider Marel Santos-Lara, a 36-year-old Honduran national, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a removed alien in federal court in Muskogee, Oklahoma. The charge carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, Santos-Lara was found in Bryan County on November 17, 2025. Authorities allege he did not have permission from the Secretary of Homeland Security to return to the United States after his removal on September 30, 2016. The case resulted from an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
The prosecution stated that this case is part of Operation Take Back America, described as “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.”
U.S. Magistrate Judge D. Edward Snow accepted Santos-Lara’s plea and ordered a presentence investigation report. Sentencing will be determined by a U.S. District Court Judge based on federal guidelines and other legal considerations.
Santos-Lara remains in custody with the United States Marshals Service while awaiting sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edith A. Singer represented the government in this matter.
