JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – An illegal alien was found guilty by a federal jury for illegally reentering the United States after having been previously removed from the United States.
Amador Salinas-Rodriguez, 47, was found guilty of one count of illegal reentry of a removed alien.
On April 7, 2026, the federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Salinas-Rodriguez with illegal reentry after removal. On April 24, 2026, officers with the Columbia Police Department arrested Salinas-Rodriguez on a federal arrest warrant issued with the indictment.
The evidence at trial established that on Aug. 1, 1999, Salinas-Rodriguez entered the United States at a border crossing at Nogales, Ariz., using another person’s border crossing card. Federal agents discovered Salinas-Rodriguez’s deception and removed him back to Mexico. After that removal, Salinas-Rodriguez was found in Columbia, Mo., in February 2025 and again in February 2026, without having obtained the consent of the Attorney General or Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission into the United States.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Jefferson City, Mo., returned a guilty verdict to U.S. District Judge Greg Kays, ending a trial beginning Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026.
Under federal statutes, Salinas-Rodriguez is facing up to two years in federal prison. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant 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.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas Komoroski and Ashley Turner. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
Operation Take Back America
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.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Western District of Missouri — U.S. Department of Justice press release.