An immigrant who was deported twice but allegedly managed to live in the U.S.
illegally for more than
20 years faces federal prison time after she was arrested by Homeland Security Investigations agents in Honolulu on May 23.
Maria Aldana Rincon, 51, a citizen of Mexico, also known as “Marisela Martinez De Cabrales” and “Veronica Castaneda Rosales,” allegedly entered the U.S
using a fake name through California in September 2002, federal authorities say.
Federal agents executing a search warrant at a Kaimuki home arrested Rincon for suspicion of illegal reentry. She was in possession of identification showing her “true name,” and her fingerprints were later matched to the two aliases she used to remain in the U.S., authorities allege.
She is scheduled to appear at a detention hearing Thursday before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Kenneth J. Mansfield. Rincon will
appear with the help of a Spanish language interpreter.
“HSI arrested Maria Aldana Rincon on May 23, 2025. She was targeted for being in violation of immigration law,” read a statement to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson. “HSI does not disclose its targeting methodologies and does not release individual biographic data.”
There were 12,550 illegal reentry cases in 2024, down from 12,868 in 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The average sentence for individuals convicted of illegal reentry was 12 months. About 95.7% of those arrested were sentenced to prison, according to the U.S. Sentencing Commission.
On Sept. 21, 2002, Rincon applied for admission into the United States from Mexico at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, according to an affidavit from a DHS special agent.
Rincon presented a “counterfeit I-94 entry permit” bearing the name Marisela Martinez De Cabrales,
authorities said. During a sworn statement, Rincon allegedly identified herself as Veronica Castaneda Rosales and “admitted to not possessing the proper documents” to “enter, pass through or reside” in the United States.
She was served with Form I-296 Notice to Alien Ordered Removed/Departure Verification, which “ordered that she be removed from the United States to Mexico,” for five years from the date of her departure from U.S. She was deported to Mexico but nine days later, on Sept. 30, 2002, Rincon again applied for admission at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
She presented “a photo substituted immigration document I-94 bearing the name Marisela Martinez De Cabrales,” the government alleges. Rincon was deported to Mexico and banned from the U.S. for
20 years.
Rincon’s latest arrest comes amid targeted enforcement actions in Hawaii conducted by federal agents with DHS and the U.S. Department of Justice.
President Donald Trump campaigned on the promise of targeting every man, woman and child in the U.S. illegally and deporting them to their country of birth.
In a May 12 statement, Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in the “first 100 days under President Trump and Secretary (Kristi) Noem, 75% of arrests ICE made were of criminal illegal aliens. DHS is continuing to go after the worst of the worst.”
“Our brave ICE agents are conducting operations in Hawaii to protect communities from violent criminals who shouldn’t be in our country. The targets of the operation in Hawaii include criminal illegal aliens charged with kidnapping, assault, distribution of deadly drugs, domestic abuse, and theft,” McLaughlin said.
In Hawaii, more than 100 people have been arrested on suspicion of immigration law violations. DHS’ Immigration and Customs Enforcement has not released specific immigration arrest and removal statistics for Hawaii.
