Seven individuals have pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States after being previously removed, according to an announcement by Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The cases are part of ongoing efforts following executive orders signed on January 20 by the President, which directed federal agencies to prioritize enforcement of immigration laws and prosecution of criminal offenses related to unauthorized entry or continued presence in the country. The Department of Justice has been tasked with focusing on these prosecutions as part of a broader policy aimed at national security and public safety.
Among those charged is Wilber Alexander Andrade-Castellon, a Salvadoran national who was removed from the United States three times between 2004 and 2015. He reentered the country after his last removal and was arrested in August 2024 in Fairfax County. On May 14, Andrade-Castellon pled guilty to illegal reentry and remains subject to removal.
Daniel Alberto Urbina Romero, a Honduran national convicted in Virginia in 2018 for abduction with intent to defile and aggravated sexual battery, was removed from the U.S. in January 2023 but later found present again following a traffic violation in Loudoun County. Urbina Romero pled guilty on July 31 to illegal reentry after removal for an aggravated felony conviction.
Carlos Antonio Flores Monroy, also from El Salvador, entered the U.S. illegally in 2001 and was ordered removed in 2007. After being convicted for carrying a concealed weapon earlier this year and subsequently removed again, he was encountered by immigration officials in Richmond and pled guilty on August 5 to illegal reentry.
Maynor Dionicio Hernandez-Reyes, a Honduran national deported in August 2021, was found detained at Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail this April after unlawfully returning. He pled guilty on August 7.
Jose Adoney Monge-Santos of Honduras had been removed three times since 2013 following multiple arrests for public intoxication and other charges. After further incidents including alleged gang-related violence last November, Monge-Santos was again detained and pled guilty on August 11.
Miguel Angel Alvarado Cordero from El Salvador was first removed in February 2022 but returned illegally soon after being detained for several felony charges in Fairfax County. He pled guilty on August 6.
Wilmer Roberto Lopez-Mejia, a Honduran national who entered the U.S. illegally in June 2005 and later served time for unlawful wounding after an attack described by police reports as rape and stabbing, reentered after removal and was arrested again this February. He pled guilty on April 24 and awaits sentencing.
All seven individuals remain subject to previous orders of removal.
According to the press release: “Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.”
Further information about these cases can be found through court records available via PACER or through official district court websites.
