Two Mexican nationals have been sentenced to federal prison for reentering the United States without authorization, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei of the Southern District of Texas.
Raymundo Pecina-Lopez, 43, pleaded guilty and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge to 39 months in prison. Samuel Moreno-Soto, 38, pleaded guilty on December 9, 2025, and received an 18-month sentence from U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison.
"Not U.S. citizens, both are expected to again face removal proceedings following their imprisonment," stated the office of the U.S. Attorney.
During sentencing hearings, additional evidence about their criminal records was presented. Both individuals have previous convictions for assault of a family member and narcotics offenses. Pecina-Lopez also has convictions for driving while intoxicated and illegally carrying a weapon; Moreno-Soto has prior convictions for harboring aliens and illegal reentry.
Pecina-Lopez was first ordered removed from the country in September 2009 and returned illegally once since then. Moreno-Soto was initially removed in June 2014 and subsequently returned twice without authorization.
"They have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future," according to authorities.
The investigation was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Hostetter prosecuted both cases with assistance from Special AUSA Carrie Law on the Pecina-Lopez case and AUSA Amanda Alum on the Moreno-Soto 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 officials.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas serves under the Attorney General as part of the Department of Justice with more than 200 attorneys covering 43 counties with a population exceeding nine million people. The office handles federal prosecutions as well as civil cases involving government interests across several locations including Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Laredo, McAllen, and Brownsville (source). Past leaders include Alamdar Hamdani (2022–2025) among others (history page).
