Repeat offender felon sentenced to five years for illegal reentry into U.S.

HOUSTON – A 31-year-old Mexican national with multiple felonies who illegally resided in Houston has been ordered to federal prison for illegally reentering the country again without authorization, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Javier Andres Rivera pleaded guilty Nov. 12, 2025. 

U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison has now ordered Rivera to serve 60 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court considered Rivera’s criminal history and noted that, despite a prior lengthy prison sentence, he has continued to reoffend and has not demonstrated a positive rehabilitative trajectory.

Rivera has felony convictions for aggravated robbery with a firearm, possession of more than 50 pounds of marijuana, terroristic threats and illegal reentry. He was first removed from the United States in November 2011 and illegally returned three times. 

Authorities discovered him again in July 2025 after arresting him for unlawful possession of a firearm.

Rivera will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Law prosecuted 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 and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.