A Mexican national with a history of felony convictions has been sentenced in Houston for illegal reentry into the United States. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Luis Alfonso Murillo-Soriano, 31, pleaded guilty on March 8, 2024. U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison sentenced him to 130 months in federal prison. Murillo-Soriano is not a U.S. citizen and is expected to face removal proceedings after serving his sentence.
During the sentencing hearing, evidence was presented that Murillo-Soriano allegedly sexually assaulted another inmate and helped bring contraband into the facility while in custody. The court highlighted the seriousness of his three drug convictions and expressed concern about his continued criminal activity after illegally re-entering the country.
Murillo-Soriano’s criminal record includes multiple felony drug convictions involving heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine, as well as a conviction for driving while intoxicated. He was first removed from the United States in 2018 but returned unlawfully two more times.
Authorities discovered Murillo-Soriano after he was apprehended in December 2019 for distributing four kilograms of heroin, shortly after being deported at the end of October 2019. He also returned illegally while on supervised release for an earlier serious drug trafficking charge.
Murillo-Soriano will remain in custody until he is transferred to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
The investigation was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations along with the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Lu is prosecuting the case.
"This case is part of Operation Take Back America, 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 and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime," according to information provided by authorities. "Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood."
