Convicted felon sentenced to 51 months for illegal reentry to the United States

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 54-year-old man from Matamoros, Mexico, has been ordered to federal prison for illegally reentering the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Luis Ernesto Hernandez-Doria pleaded guilty April 9.

U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has now ordered him to serve 51 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard about Hernandez-Doria’s lengthy criminal record, including four prior felony and six misdemeanor convictions. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Hernandez-Doria needed a substantial sentence to deter him from illegally reentering again.

Hernandez-Doria had three previous felony convictions for illegal reentry as well as for taking a weapon from an officer.

He was first removed in November 2016 and illegally returned three times. Authorities discovered him again Oct. 12, 2024, in Brownsville.

He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luis Salazar prosecuted the case.

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 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.