Man Arrested in Lakes Region One of Four Indicted for Illegally Re-entering the Country

One of four individuals that was indicted this week by a federal grand jury for illegally re-entering the United States after being deported was found in the Lakes Region.

According to information released by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Missouri, 32-year-old Lorenzo Castillo-Rivera was found in Stone County after being previously deported in 2022, 2023, and 2024.  The case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) along with the Stone County Sheriff's Department and the Reeds Spring Police Department. 

Another one of the indictments handed down occurred after an arrest north of the Lakes Region in Christian County where 49-year-old Mario Robert Mejia-Valledares was charged with illegal re-entry by a previously deported alien who had been previously convicted of an aggravated felony offense. Mejia-Valledares had also been deported three time before and also was convicted of aggravated felony offense after discharging a firearm at an occupied dwelling, building or vehicle. The Christian County Sheriff Office assisted ICE-HSI with this investigation. 

The two other arrests occurred in Jasper and Pulaski Counties in Missouri.

The arrests and indictments were part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to curtail illegal immigration