DeKalb County Man Charged with Raping 12-Year-Old Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Re-Entry
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A Mexican national arrested in DeKalb County on multiple felony sex-crime charges involving a 12-year-old girl has been sentenced to federal prison for illegally re-entering the United States. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
U.S. District Judge Corey L. Maze sentenced 34-year-old Eberardo Yovany Peralta-Cazales to 18 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to illegal re-entry after deportation.
According to court documents, Peralta-Cazales was first removed from the United States on November 11, 2015. He was located again in the U.S. on September 21, 2023, and deported a second time on September 29, 2023. Less than a year later, he was arrested by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office on the following charges:
• Five counts of Rape Second Degree
• Four counts of Sodomy Second Degree
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndal/pr/illegal-alien-sentenced-illegal-re-entry-after-deportation
Investigators say all nine charges involved a 12-year-old victim. After his arrest, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Deportation Removal Office was notified, and Peralta-Cazales was transferred into federal custody.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the federal investigation with assistance from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara M. Judah prosecuted the federal case.
Federal authorities say the prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Justice Department initiative focused on combating illegal immigration, dismantling transnational criminal organizations, and targeting violent offenders.
