Nicholas J. Ganjei United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
A Mexican national residing illegally in Houston has been sentenced to federal prison for reentering the United States without authorization, as announced by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Isidor Lagunas-Estrada, 54, pleaded guilty on January 14 and was subsequently ordered by U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison to serve a nearly six-year sentence.
The court considered the severity of Lagunas-Estrada's crimes, his disregard for the law, and the necessity for deterrence when determining the sentence. This federal sentence will run consecutively to his state conviction for driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol.
Lagunas-Estrada had previously been deported from the United States in 2020 following his fourth DUI conviction but was found back in the country in October 2022 after being arrested and convicted of a fifth DUI offense. He remains in custody.
The investigation was conducted by Immigration Customs Enforcement – Enforcement Removal Operations, with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Law prosecuting the case.
This sentencing is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators. The operation aligns resources from various Department of Justice programs such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
