Illegal Alien Sentenced to Federal Prison for Unlawful Reentry into the United States After Deportation
Memphis, TN – Jose Nelson Orellana-Callejas, 41, of El Salvador, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States after removal. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.
According to the facts revealed during the plea hearing and at sentencing, on August 26, 2019, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents received information that Orellana-Callejas was at the Greyhound Bus Station in Memphis, Tennessee. Agents determined that Orellana-Callejas was a citizen of El Salvador and had previously been removed from the United States after being convicted of multiple felony offenses. Specifically, it was determined that Orellana-Callejas had the following history:
• October 07, 1998, Orellana-Callejas was ordered removed from the United States to El Salvador by an immigration judge in San Antonio, Texas.
• In 2007, Orellana-Callejas was convicted of two felonies for possession of cocaine in Georgia.
• November 10, 2011, he was removed from the United States pursuant to the original immigration removal order.
• August 8, 2016, Orellana-Callejas was again taken into immigration custody after serving a sentence for identity theft in Virginia.
• September 2, 2016, he was again removed to El Salvador.
• October 2016, Orellana-Callejas was arrested by Border Patrol agents in Texas and was subsequently convicted of felony illegal reentry.
• September 14, 2017, he was again removed to El Salvador. Orellana-Callejas has never obtained the consent or permission from immigration officials to reenter into the United States.
On March 5, 2020, U.S. District Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr. sentenced Orellana-Callejas to 46 months imprisonment. He also faces possible deportation after completion of his sentence of confinement.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Criminal aliens not only threaten the sovereignty of our nation, but also threaten the safety of our communities. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has prioritized and renewed our commitment to immigration enforcement, and this case demonstrates our focus on those criminal aliens who continue to illegally reenter and violate our laws after deportation. We will aggressively and unapologetically enforce U.S. immigration laws and seek stiff penalties against those who violate them."
The United States Department of Homeland Security- Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Hall prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Cherri Green
Public Affairs
(901) 544-4231
Cherri.Green@usdoj.gov