United States Attorney David I. Courcelle announced on April 1 that Julio Valerio-Senteno, a 39-year-old Honduran citizen, pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States after having been previously removed.
Valerio-Senteno’s case highlights ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address illegal immigration and related offenses. According to court documents, Valerio-Senteno was removed from the United States three times: July 1, 2011; February 27, 2012; and October 2, 2013. He was later found in the Eastern District of Louisiana on May 15, 2025 without having received permission from either the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to return.
United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe accepted Valerio-Senteno’s guilty plea and set sentencing for May 21, 2026. Courcelle said he praised “the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter.” Assistant United States Attorney Duane A. Evans is handling the prosecution.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America. The initiative brings together resources from across the Department of Justice with goals that include addressing illegal immigration and eliminating transnational criminal organizations and cartels as well as protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators. Operation Take Back America coordinates efforts through programs such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Federal authorities continue their focus on enforcing immigration laws as part of broader initiatives aimed at community safety.
