Two Honduran nationals, Marcos Joel Contreras-Max and Edwin Javier Chinchilla-Lopez, appeared before a federal judge in San Antonio this week on charges of allegedly re-entering the United States illegally. The arrests followed an operation on Sunday conducted by multiple agencies under the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), which also detained several other individuals suspected of links to foreign criminal networks.
The raid, which focused on locating members of the violent Tren de Aragua organization, resulted in over 140 arrests. Contreras-Max and Chinchilla-Lopez were taken to the South Texas ICE Processing Center, where authorities determined that both had previously been deported—once on August 1, 2023, and again on March 14. Each faces up to two years in prison and fines of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas provided details on the case and the criminal charges. According to U.S. Attorney Office, the investigation involved the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Texas Department of Public Safety, highlighting the collaborative effort required to address organized crime and enforce immigration laws.
The outcomes for Contreras-Max and Chinchilla-Lopez will be decided by federal courts, which will consider their alleged illegal re-entry alongside U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other relevant statutes.
