Carmelo Nolasco-Carbajal, a 42-year-old Mexican national, has been sentenced to three years and one month in federal prison for illegal reentry after being previously removed from the United States. The sentence was handed down by Senior U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara following Nolasco-Carbajal's guilty plea on December 19, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced the sentencing. According to court documents, immigration authorities discovered Nolasco-Carbajal in February 2025 after he was arrested in Hillsborough County for possession of cocaine, a charge for which he was later convicted. Authorities noted that Nolasco-Carbajal had already been removed from the United States three times before this incident and did not have permission to return.
Nolasco-Carbajal’s criminal history includes convictions for aggravated battery with serious bodily injury, aggravated assault, and prior illegal reentry offenses.
The investigation into this case was conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang.
The prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative that brings together resources from the Department of Justice to address illegal immigration and combat transnational criminal organizations through programs such as the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
