A Honduran citizen, Dery Joncarlos Zelaya-Zelaya, also known as Dery Zelaya, was sentenced to twelve months in federal prison for illegal reentry into the United States. The sentencing took place on August 26, 2025, before United States District Judge Susie Morgan in New Orleans.
Zelaya-Zelaya, age 27, had previously pleaded guilty to violating Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), which addresses the illegal reentry of a removed alien. In addition to the prison term, he was sentenced to one year of supervised release and ordered to pay a mandatory $100 special assessment.
Court documents show that Zelaya-Zelaya had been removed from the United States twice before—on May 13, 2022 and December 4, 2019—and did not have permission from either the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to return.
Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson commented on the case: “Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement Removal Operations in investigating this matter.” Assistant United States Attorney Duane A. Evans of the General Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
The prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America. According to officials, this initiative aims to use resources from across the Department of Justice to address illegal immigration and target criminal organizations.
“Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).”
