A Honduran man, Elvin Licona Cerrato, has pleaded guilty to illegal re-entry into the United States. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson. Licona, 36, was sentenced on June 26, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Nanette Jolivette-Brown for the violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1326(a). He received a sentence equivalent to time served and must pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Following his sentencing, Licona's custody was transferred to the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement due to a pending detainer.
Court documents reveal that Licona had previously been removed from the U.S. on November 14, 2016. He was discovered again in the Eastern District of Louisiana on April 6, 2025, without having obtained permission from either the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security for reentry.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson commended the efforts of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Enforcement and Removal Operations along with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorney Jon Maestri from the General Crimes Unit led the prosecution.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America, an initiative aimed at utilizing Department of Justice resources to combat illegal immigration and eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), while also protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators. The operation consolidates resources from Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
