Three Men Appear In Federal Court for Immigration Crimes

BECKLEY, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced today that three men appeared in federal court before United States District Judge Irene Berger in Beckley. 

“Seven. Seven prior removals between them. Seven is not a lucky number in this case,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “We are a welcoming nation to legal immigrants but no one likes a line skipper – not in traffic, not at Disney World, and not the immigration line.  If you break the laws on coming to the United States, you cannot stay.  We continue to work closely with ICE and our state and local partners to identify and remove those in the United States illegally.”

Luis Figueroa-Zuniga, 44, a Honduran national, and Samuel Hernandez-Hernandez, 31, a Mexican national, received sentences of “credit for time served.”  They both were immediately remanded to the custody of the Department of Homeland Security for removal proceedings.  They previously entered guilty pleas to the felony offenses of Reentry of a Removed Alien on March 28, 2019, and have been in federal custody throughout the proceedings.  The investigations were conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 

On February 1, 2019, Figueroa-Zuniga was found in Ronceverte, Greenbrier County, West Virginia.  Federal agents with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had received a tip that he was working illegally at a restaurant.  ICE agents investigated and located Figueroa-Zuniga leaving his residence to travel to the restaurant. ICE agents requested identification from him.  Figueroa-Zuniga immediately admitted that he was not in the United States legally and had no identification documents permitting him legal status.  ICE agents took Figueroa-Zuniga into federal custody. Fingerprinting matched Figueroa-Zuniga to a prior removal from the United States in 2005.   Figueroa-Zuniga was found by immigration judges to be in the United States illegally and was deported to Honduras.  He had not obtained permission to legally enter the United States and had not sought legal status or citizenship. Figueroa-Zuniga further admitted to ICE agents that he was a Honduran citizen.

On January 22, 2019, Hernandez-Hernandez was found in Beaver, Raleigh County, West Virginia.  Federal agents with ICE had received information that Hernandez-Hernandez was incarcerated in the prison facility and was not a United States citizen.  Agents confirmed this information and they lodged a detainer against him.  ICE agents further confirmed Hernandez-Hernandez was not in the country legally  by speaking with him telephonically.  Hernandez-Hernandez immediately admitted that he was not in the United States legally and had no identification documents permitting him legal status.  Fingerprinting matched Hernandez-Hernandez to two prior removals from the United States in 2015 and 2016.   Hernandez-Hernandez was found by immigration judges to be in the United States illegally and was deported to Mexico.  He had not obtained permission to legally enter the United States and had not sought legal status or citizenship. Hernandez-Hernandez further admitted to ICE agents that he was a Mexican citizen.

Juan Carlos Reyes-Molina, 23, a Honduran man, entered a guilty plea to the felony offense of Reentry of a Removed Alien.  He faces up to two years of incarceration when he is sentenced on September 12, 2019. 

On March 9, 2019,  a West Virginia State Police Trooper saw a car that was stopped at Mile Marker 52 on the West Virginia Turnpike outside of Beckley, Raleigh County, West Virginia.  Three men were standing outside a car with its emergency blinkers on.  When the Trooper pulled in, the men ran to the car and began to drive away.  The Trooper asked the driver what was happening and for a driver’s license.  The driver could not communicate with the Trooper due to a language barrier and did not have a driver’s license.  The Trooper contacted a translator service provided by ICE to assist.  The driver and two other individuals spoke with ICE agents telephonically and all three were found to be in the United States illegally. All three men were taken into custody and fingerprinted.  Reyes, one of the three men, was found to be a prior reentry case.  Specifically, his prints matched four prior removals from Arizona and California in 2017 and 2018.  Reyes admitted to ICE agents that he was in the United States illegally and had not obtained permission to legally enter the United States.  He had not otherwise sought legal status or citizenship. Reyes further admitted to ICE agents that he was a Honduran citizen.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the West Virginia State Police.  Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is responsible for the prosecutions.  

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