U.S. Department
of Justice
Press Release
Honduran Illegal Alien Sentenced For Illegal Reentry of Deported Alien
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Louisiana
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DARWIN MORADEL VELASQUEZ (“VELASQUEZ”), age 40, a native of Honduras, was sentenced on July 2, 2026, for illegal reentry of previously removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, VELASQUEZ, an illegal alien, was found in St. Tammany Parish on December 31, 2025, by agents of the United States Customs and Border Patrol. VELASQUEZ had previously been removed to Honduras by the United States Department of Homeland Security on October 11, 2016.
United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier sentenced VELASQUEZ to time served and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. He also ordered VELASQUEZ transferred into Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody for removal back to Honduras.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, 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.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Customs and Border Patrol in investigating this matter. Special Assistant United States Attorney Rick Veters, of the General Crimes Unit, handled the prosecution.
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Contact
Shane M. Jones
Public Information Officer
United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Louisiana
United States Department of Justice
Updated July 2, 2026
Topic
Operation Take Back America
Component