Man from El Salvador sentenced to 12 months in prison for reentering the United States multiple times

LAKE CHARLES, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a man from El Salvador was sentenced to 12 months in prison last week for reentering the country after being deported.

Nelson Antonio Orellana, 30, of San Miguel, El Salvador, was sentenced on October 30, 2017 by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter on one count of illegal reentry following deportation. According to the July 13, 2017 guilty plea, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents stopped a vehicle February 21, 2017 traveling east on Interstate 10. Agents found eight undocumented illegal aliens and one driver who had lawful status in the United States. Agents discovered Orellana among the group. They also discovered the defendant had illegally reentered the United States multiples times. Orellana was found to have been deported multiple times with the most recent deportation being March 4, 2016 from Alexandria, La. He reentered the country illegally on February 14, 2017 near Laredo, Texas.

United States Customs and Border Patrol conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth prosecuted the case.