A Honduran man, Elvin Licona Cerrato, has pleaded guilty to illegal re-entry into the United States. Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that Licona, aged 36, was sentenced on June 26, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Nanette Jolivette-Brown. The charge was for illegal re-entry of a previously removed alien under Title 18, United States Code, Section 1326(a). Licona received a sentence of time served and is required to pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. His custody has been transferred to the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement due to a pending detainer.
Court documents reveal that Licona was deported from the United States on November 14, 2016. He was found again in the Eastern District of Louisiana on April 6, 2025, without having obtained permission from either the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to return.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson commended the efforts of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations along with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in their investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jon Maestri from the General Crimes Unit led the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America. This initiative aims to utilize all resources available within the Department of Justice to combat illegal immigration effectively. It seeks to dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations while safeguarding communities against violent crime perpetrators. The operation aligns efforts with those from Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
