Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson has announced that Jorge Luis Villanueva, a 35-year-old Honduran national, pleaded guilty on June 26, 2025, to the charge of illegal re-entry of a removed alien. This violation falls under Title 8, United States Code, Sections 1326(a) and 1326(b)(1).
The bill of information states that Villanueva re-entered the U.S. after being deported on September 11, 2013.
Villanueva faces a potential sentence of up to two years in prison, a fine reaching $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
Simpson commended the efforts of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office for their roles in investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman from the General Crimes Unit is handling the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America. The initiative aims to combat illegal immigration and dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations while safeguarding communities from violent crime perpetrators. It consolidates resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
