Citizen of El Salvador Pleads Guilty to Reentering U.S. after Being Removed 3 Times

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that WILIAN ALEXANDER ORELLANA-LUNA, 40, a citizen of El Salvador last residing in West Haven, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to reentry of a removed alien.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Orellana-Luna had encounters with the U.S. Border Patrol in Texas in March 2013, November 2015 and February 2019.  He was removed to El Salvador after each encounter.

On October 22, 2019, Orellana-Luna was arrested by West Haven Police and charged with evading responsibility resulting in injury or property damage.  A biometric match alerted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that Orellana-Luna, who had been released after his arrest, was present in Connecticut.  ICE arrested Orellana-Luna on December 5, 2019.

Immediately following the guilty plea proceeding, Judge Underhill sentenced Orellana-Luna to time served.  Orellana-Luna was then released into ICE custody for removal to El Salvador.

This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Deborah R. Slater.