A Honduran national, Rolando Humberto Castillo-Bernardez, was sentenced on September 17, 2025, for illegal reentry into the United States after previously being deported. The sentencing took place in New Orleans, Louisiana.
According to court documents, Castillo-Bernardez, age 41, was located in Orleans Parish around July 15, 2025. He had been deported to Honduras on May 17, 2019.
United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey sentenced Castillo-Bernardez to time served and imposed a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. Following his sentence, he will be transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation back to Honduras.
The case falls under Operation Take Back America. This initiative aims to address illegal immigration and target cartels and transnational criminal organizations through coordinated efforts by the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson stated: “Operation Take Back America is 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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).”
Simpson also commended the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for its investigative work on this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis oversaw the prosecution.
