JOSE DAVID MORALES-VAZQUEZ, a 29-year-old Mexican national, pleaded guilty on September 2, 2025, to the charge of illegal reentry after removal. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Court records indicate that Morales-Vazquez had previously been removed from the United States on November 19, 2018. Authorities confirmed that he did not have authorization from either the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to return. United States District Judge Brandon S. Long scheduled sentencing for November 4, 2025.
Morales-Vazquez could face up to two years in prison, a fine reaching $250,000, one year of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson stated: "Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Border Patrol in investigating this matter." The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Duane A. Evans from the General Crimes Unit.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America, which is described as "a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN)."
