Three men with previous felony convictions have been sentenced to federal prison in the Southern District of Indiana after pleading guilty to illegal reentry and other offenses, according to an announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The defendants are Gerson Enrique Cisneros, 20, of El Salvador; Josue Miguel Perez-Perez, 41, of Mexico; and Rosario Valencia-Ambrosio, 36, of Mexico. Each case was investigated separately.
Cisneros received a sentence of two years in prison and two years supervised release for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. On February 3, 2025, Evansville Police responded to reports of shots fired near Sunset Skate Park. Officers observed five individuals dressed in black and wearing ski masks entering and exiting a minivan after park hours. During a vehicle stop, one individual fled on foot while Cisneros remained in the vehicle with a loaded semi-automatic pistol hidden beneath his seat. At the time of arrest, Cisneros had an outstanding warrant for reckless driving from Posey County and had never possessed a valid driver’s license. He was also unlawfully present in the United States.
Perez-Perez was sentenced to six months imprisonment and three years supervised release for illegal reentry after removal. He had previously been removed from Wisconsin to Mexico in 2007 following a felony conviction for second-degree assault of a child. He was found on February 10, 2025, in Clark County after being arrested on charges including operating a vehicle while intoxicated and intimidation.
Valencia-Ambrosio received 23 months imprisonment and three years supervised release for illegal reentry after removal. He had previously been deported from Texas following a conviction for conspiracy with intent to distribute cocaine and has additional convictions in the United States including operating while intoxicated and conversion. He was located on January 4, 2025, in Madison County after being arrested on charges of domestic battery and intimidation.
All three defendants acknowledged during their guilty pleas that they will be subject to removal from the United States upon completion of their sentences.
“Criminal aliens that habitually cross into our country illegally and endanger our communities must face consequences,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “We will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to enforce our Nation’s immigration laws and hold these repeat offenders fully accountable for their actions.”
“These three violent criminal aliens – each with prior offenses – posed a serious threat to public safety and our neighborhoods,” said Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino. “HSI, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to protect the interests of our great nation.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE), and Evansville Police Department conducted investigations into these cases. Sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judges Tanya Walton Pratt and Matthew P. Brookman.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Todd S. Shellenbarger, Adam Eakman, and Carolyn Haney for prosecuting these cases.
These prosecutions fall under Operation Take Back America—an initiative led by the Department of Justice aiming to strengthen efforts against illegal immigration as well as organized crime groups such as cartels through resources coordinated via Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
