Twice-Deported Man Accused of Raping a 12-Year-Old Back Behind Bars After Returning to DeKalb County Alabama

A Mexican national who repeatedly re-entered the United States illegally and was charged with the rape of a child faces 18 months in prison.

TWLN Staff Reporter | The Weekly Ledger News | Area News

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Mexican national previously charged in DeKalb County with multiple sex offenses involving a 12-year-old girl has been sentenced to federal prison for illegally re-entering the United States, U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona announced.

United States District Judge Corey L. Maze sentenced Eberardo Yovany Peralta-Cazales, 34, to 18 months in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to illegal re-entry following deportation.

According to court documents, Peralta-Cazales was first deported from the United States on November 11, 2015. He was located again inside the U.S. on September 21, 2023, and removed eight days later. Less than a year after that second removal, Peralta-Cazales was arrested in DeKalb County, Alabama, on five counts of Rape in the Second Degree and four counts of Sodomy in the Second Degree, all involving a 12-year-old girl.

Following his arrest, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Deportation and Removal Office (ICE/ERO) was notified, and Peralta-Cazales was transferred into federal custody.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara M. Judah prosecuted the federal case.

This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America, a national Department of Justice initiative focused on combating illegal immigration, dismantling transnational criminal organizations, and protecting communities from violent offenders.

This report includes information from a press release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Alabama.

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