Mexican national caught mid-burglary sentenced for immigration violation

BEAUMONT, Texas –A Mexican national has been sentenced for illegally reentering the United States, announced Eastern District of Texas Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.

Heladio Ruchon Rocha-Tellez, 31, pleaded guilty to illegal reentry after removal and was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on April 22, 2025.

According to information presented in court, on December 19, 2023, local law enforcement responded to a burglary in progress at a Beaumont laundry mat.  When officers arrived, they encountered Rocha-Tellez hiding behind the counter of the laundry mat with a large amount of cash hanging out of his pocket.  A check of immigration records revealed that Rocha-Tellez was a Mexican national who had been previously removed from the United States in 2015 and twice in 2022.

In addition to the immigration charges, Rocha-Tellez was convicted of a state burglary charge in Jefferson County court and sentenced to 12 months in prison on November 19, 2024.  Judge Crone ordered that the sentences run consecutively, and Rocha-Tellez will begin his federal prison sentence after completing his state sentence. 

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 the Department of Homeland Security and the Beaumont Police Department and prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tommy L. Coleman with the cooperation of the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office.

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