LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Five people accused of illegally reentering the United States after previous deportations made initial court appearances in Las Vegas this week, federal authorities said.Juan Manuel Castellanos-Velazquez, Jimmy Jeyson Escobar-Nerio, Victor Hugo Garcia-Dominguez, Marbin Alexander Ramirez-Rodas, and Antonio Trinidad Garcia-Gallo are each charged with one count of deported alien found in the United States.Preliminary hearings for Castellanos-Velazquez and Escobar-Nerio are scheduled for May 11 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maximiliano D. Couvillier III. Preliminary hearings for Garcia-Dominguez, Ramirez-Rodas, and Garcia-Gallo are scheduled for May 13, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Albregts.According to allegations in the criminal complaints and statements made during court proceedings, Castellanos-Velazquez, Garcia-Dominguez, and Garcia-Gallo are citizens and nationals of Mexico. Escobar-Nerio and Ramirez-Rodas are citizens and nationals of El Salvador. All five were previously deported and removed from the United States and reentered the country illegally, authorities said.Castellanos-VelazquezOn April 7, 2023, North Las Vegas police arrested Castellanos-Velazquez on two counts of trafficking a controlled substance, sale/transfer of a controlled substance, and conspiracy to violate the Uniform Controlled Substances Act. On April 13, 2026, after serving a 36-to-96-month sentence for drug trafficking, the Nevada Department of Corrections remanded him to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody in Las Vegas.Castellanos-Velazquez was previously removed and deported from the United States to Mexico on eight occasions: Feb. 28, 2008; Aug. 24, 2008; Aug. 28, 2008; Dec. 30, 2008; April 21, 2016; May 4, 2016; May 18, 2016; and May 27, 2016.Escobar-NerioOn April 4, 2026, North Las Vegas police arrested Escobar-Nerio for driving under the influence. On April 8, 2026, the North Las Vegas Community Correctional Center remanded him to ICE custody in Las Vegas.Escobar-Nerio was previously removed and deported from the United States to Mexico on Oct. 10, 2019, and Jan. 8, 2021. He has a prior felony conviction dated Dec. 16, 2020, from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California for a deported alien found in the United States, the same charge he is currently facing.Garcia-DominguezOn Sept. 11, 2024, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police arrested Garcia-Dominguez for kidnapping and robbery with the use of a deadly weapon. On April 16, 2026, after serving a 19-to-96-month sentence for conspiracy to commit robbery, the Nevada Department of Corrections remanded him to ICE custody in Las Vegas.Garcia-Dominguez was previously removed and deported from the United States to Mexico on Aug. 10, 2020, and Dec. 20, 2023. He also has a prior felony conviction for attempted burglary and a conviction for battery, domestic violence.Ramirez-RodasOn March 16, 2026, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police arrested Ramirez-Rodas for domestic battery by strangulation, battery domestic violence on a pregnant victim, coercion domestic violence with threat or use of physical force, driving under the influence, and child abuse or neglect.Garcia-GalloOn April 17, 2026, the Clark County Detention Center remanded Garcia-Gallo to ICE custody in Las Vegas. Garcia-Gallo was previously removed on Nov. 25, 2022, and has prior felony convictions for trafficking a controlled substance from 2015 and being a prohibited alien in possession of a firearm from 2021.In a separate case history outlined by authorities, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police arrested Garcia-Gallo on April 17, 2024, for four counts of possession for sale of a controlled substance, trafficking a controlled substance, and conspiracy to violate the Uniform Controlled Substances Act. On April 22, 2026, after serving a two-to-five-year sentence for trafficking in a controlled substance, the Nevada Department of Corrections remanded him to ICE custody in Las Vegas. Garcia-Gallo was previously removed and deported from the United States to Mexico on Aug. 20, 2015, and June 9, 2020. He was previously convicted in 2018 of felony trafficking a controlled substance and in 2020 of being a deported alien found in the United States, the same charge he is currently facing.Potential penaltiesIf convicted, Ramirez-Rodas faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, a three-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.If convicted, Escobar-Nerio, Garcia-Dominguez, and Garcia-Gallo each face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a three-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.If convicted, Castellanos-Velazquez faces a maximum statutory penalty of two years in prison, a one-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Acting Field Office Director Ruben Levya announced the charges. ICE’s Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the cases, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada is prosecuting them.The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, described by authorities as 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.”A complaint is merely an accusation, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by calling 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing an online tip form.