The federal government is charging the owner of two popular Mexican restaurants in Soldotna with being in the U.S. illegally and making a false statement of citizenship.
In March, a federal grand jury indicted Francisco Rodriguez-Rincon on two charges, including reentering the U.S. illegally almost three decades ago.
The indictment alleges Francisco Rodriguez-Rincon "was found" in the U.S. earlier this year after having been removed, excluded or deported in December 1995 near Calexico, California. The indictment says he returned to the U.S. without permission from the U.S. Attorney General of the Secretary for Homeland Security to be in the country.
The indictment also alleges Rodriguez-Rincon falsely claimed he was a U.S. citizen in January 2023. The indictment says he made that false statement with the intention of obtaining a federal or state benefit for himself or another person, and to be employed illegally.
Rodriguez-Rincon pleaded not guilty to the charges last month in Anchorage. He was released on his own recognizance while the case is pending.
Samuel Eilers is a federal public defender in the U.S. District Court for Alaska and Rodriguez-Rincon's lawyer. Eilers told KDLL in April that lawyers will spend the months following the April arraignment gathering evidence in the case. In the interim, he said he doesn't expect substantial court action.
Eilers declined to comment further on the case, and told KDLL last month Rodriguez-Rincon is declining interviews on the advice of counsel. Prior efforts by KDLL to interview Rodriguez-Rincon were unsuccessful.
Alaska business license records show Rodriguez-Rincon owns Senor Panchos Mexican Restaurant and Sol-Agave Mexico!, Inc., both in the Soldotna area. The same records show Senor Panchos was incorporated in August 2021, and Sol-Agave was incorporated in July 2023.
On Saturday, a handwritten sign hung on the door of Senor Panchos said the business was closed permanently.
The charges against Rodriguez-Rincon come amid a nationwide immigration crackdown and mass deportations being carried out by President Donald Trump.
During his first 100 days in office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, estimates it's arrested more than 65,000 people accused of immigrating to the U.S. illegally. Earlier this month, Trump said he'd give $1,000 to all illegal immigrants who "self-deport."
In Alaska, the Anchorage Daily News reported in February that the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration helped ICE with immigration enforcement. In 2022, the Pew Research Center reported Alaska has around 10,000 residents who are unauthorized immigrants.
Rodriguez-Rincon is next scheduled to appear in federal court June 10 in Anchorage.
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