A Honduran man, Melvin Jose Tejada Morillo, was sentenced on October 7, 2025, to 18 months in prison for illegally re-entering the United States after being deported. The sentencing was announced by Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson in New Orleans. Morillo, who is 35 years old, will also serve one year of supervised release after his prison term and must pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
Court documents show that Morillo returned to the U.S. after being deported on March 21, 2016. He received an enhanced sentence because he had a felony conviction before his deportation in 2016.
"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 (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)."
The investigation was conducted by United States Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Tiwana Wright from the Financial Crimes Unit led the prosecution.
