A 54-year-old Mexican national residing illegally in Houston has been sentenced to federal prison for 70 months for reentering the United States without authorization. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Isidor Lagunas-Estrada, who pleaded guilty on January 14, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison. The judge considered the seriousness of his offenses, his disregard for the law, and the need for deterrence when imposing the nearly six-year sentence. This federal sentence will run consecutively to a state conviction related to driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI).
Lagunas-Estrada had previously been deported from the United States in 2020 after his fourth DUI conviction but was found again in October 2022 following another arrest and subsequent fifth DUI conviction.
He remains in custody following these proceedings.
The investigation into Lagunas-Estrada's illegal reentry was conducted by Immigration Customs Enforcement – Enforcement Removal Operations, with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Law prosecuting the case.
This legal action is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative led by the Department of Justice aimed at addressing illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations while safeguarding communities from violent crime perpetrators.