A Honduran national living illegally in Houston has been sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for unlawfully reentering the United States. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Wilson Antonio Vargas Argueta, 39, pleaded guilty on December 4, 2025. U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. ordered the sentence and indicated that Argueta is expected to face removal proceedings after completing his prison term.
During the sentencing hearing, evidence was presented regarding Argueta’s criminal history while he was in the country without legal status. He has previous convictions for assault, driving while intoxicated, and fleeing from law enforcement.
In 2020, Argueta bit a police officer during an arrest attempt and was later convicted of assault before being removed from the United States. He subsequently returned without authorization and was discovered by authorities in Houston in 2025. At that time, he had been driving under the influence of alcohol and did not comply with police orders to stop.
Argueta remains in custody as he awaits transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ben Hostetter and Amanda Alum prosecuted 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 officials.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas covers 43 counties with offices located in Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Laredo, McAllen, and Brownsville (official website). The office employs more than 200 attorneys serving a population exceeding nine million people (official website). Its responsibilities include prosecuting federal crimes and handling civil cases on behalf of the government (official website). The office is part of the U.S. Department of Justice under the Attorney General (official website).
Former leaders have included Alamdar Hamdani (2022-2025) and Ryan Patrick (official history page).
