Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that Melvin Jose Tejada Morillo, a 35-year-old Honduran national, pled guilty to illegal re-entry of a removed alien on July 8, 2025. This violation falls under Title 8, United States Code, Sections 1326(a) and 1326(b)(2).
The indictment states that Morillo re-entered the United States after being deported on March 21, 2016. At sentencing, he faces up to two years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, one year of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. Due to a prior felony conviction, Morillo also faces an enhanced sentence of up to 20 years’ imprisonment.
Simpson commended the efforts of the United States Homeland Security Investigations in handling this case. Assistant United States Attorney Tiwana Wright is leading the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America. The initiative uses resources from the Department of Justice to combat illegal immigration and eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators. It coordinates efforts with the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
