Carlos Alberto Escobar-Loza, a 47-year-old native of Honduras, was sentenced on April 22 by U.S. District Judge Greg Gerard Guidry after pleading guilty to illegal re-entry of a removed alien, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. Escobar-Loza received a sentence of time served, one year of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a mandatory $100 assessment fee. He has been held in federal prison since January 14.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement to address unauthorized entry into the United States and underscores the role of federal authorities in enforcing immigration laws.
Court records show that Escobar-Loza was found in the United States on December 26 without authorization from the Attorney General after being previously deported on July 2, 2012. He was discovered in the Eastern District of Louisiana following an arrest by local law enforcement, and immigration officials later confirmed his identity and determined he had unlawfully reentered after removal.
Escobar-Loza has been encountered multiple times by U.S. immigration authorities since about 2002 for entering without admission or parole. An Immigration Judge ordered him removed from the country on October 27, 2003, after he failed to appear at his hearing. Between approximately 2005 and 2012, he was again encountered several times following arrests by local law enforcement; records indicate his prior removal order was reinstated and that he was removed to Honduras at least three times during this period.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative utilizing resources from the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN)—which aims to address illegal immigration and related criminal activity.
Courcelle praised Homeland Security Investigations for its work on this matter and identified Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice Jr., General Crimes Unit, as responsible for prosecution.
The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana enhances community safety through law enforcement efforts according to its official website. The office operates under the Department of Justice according to its official website, enforces federal laws and prosecutes criminal cases according to its official website, is appointed by the President with Senate approval according to its official website, covers Southeast Louisiana according to its official website, holds the role as chief federal law enforcement officer for the district according to its official website, prosecutes criminal cases while also defending civil matters and handling debt collection for residents in Southeast Louisiana; appointment comes from presidential nomination according to its official website.
