A Honduran national, identified as 32-year-old Nelson Alexander Ochoa-Vega, faced indictment on March 13, 2025, for illegally re-entering the United States after being deported, as announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson. Ochoa-Vega was found in Jefferson Parish on or about March 10, 2025, following his previous deportation to Honduras on November 6, 2019, according to court documents released by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
If convicted of the charge, Ochoa-Vega could face a maximum of two years in prison alongside a fine that could reach up to $250,000; he may also be subject to up to one year of supervised release and is liable for a $100 mandatory special assessment fee—the U.S. Attorney's Office emphasizes though that an indictment is not a conviction and the defendant's guilt must be established beyond a reasonable doubt. In a recent unsealed indictment, the potential penalties were detailed for cases such as the re-entry of removed aliens under Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
The case against Ochoa-Vega is part of a broader federal initiative dubbed "Operation Take Back America," launched with the intent to combat illegal immigration and dismantle the infrastructure of cartels and transnational criminal organizations that threaten community safety. The initiative is a collaborative effort, unifying resources from the Department of Justice's Organic Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood, a careful orchestration by law enforcement to reinforce America's borders and bolster security within the nation's interior.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson acknowledged the diligent efforts of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in bringing this case to court and announced that Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis from the General Crimes Unit will lead the prosecution.
