A Honduran national, Darwin Nectali Moradel-Velasquez, age 40, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in New Orleans for illegal reentry into the United States after being previously deported. The indictment was issued on January 9, 2026.
According to court documents, Moradel-Velasquez was discovered in the United States on December 31, 2025. He had reentered the country without permission from the Attorney General after his prior removal on October 11, 2016.
If found guilty of violating Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), Moradel-Velasquez could face up to two years in prison. Additional penalties include up to one year of supervised release and a fine of as much as $250,000. There is also a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
United States Attorney David I. Courcelle stated: “The indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.”
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America, which is described as an initiative using Department of Justice resources to address illegal immigration and target cartels and transnational criminal organizations through coordinated efforts such as those by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
U.S. Attorney Courcelle commended U.S. Customs and Border Protection for its investigative work in this case. Special Assistant United States Attorney Frederick Veters, Jr., from the General Crimes Unit, is leading the prosecution.