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Honduran National Indicted for Illegal Reentry

Joel Alberto Henriquez-Herrera, 40, was indicted on August 21, 2026, for illegal reentry of a removed alien. The charge is pending, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

2 reports on this incident · first at Aug 25, 2026, 12:47 p.m. ET

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 25, 2026, 12:53 p.m. ET
NEW ORLEANS – On August 25, 2026, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana announced that Joel Alberto Henriquez-Herrera, 40, a native of Honduras, was indicted on August 21, 2026, for illegal reentry of removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a). The announcement was made by United States Attorney David I. Courcelle. According to court documents, Henriquez-Herrera, an illegal alien, was found in Orleans Parish on August 18, 2026. He had previously been removed from the United States back to his native Honduras on July 22, 2014. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison, followed by up to one year of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. As this is a charge, Henriquez-Herrera has not been tried, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The case is part of Operation Take Back America, 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 organizations, and protect communities from violent crime. U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Special Assistant United States Attorney Rick Veters of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.

Earlier reports

  1. Aug 25, 2026, 12:47 p.m. ETFirst report

    Honduran National Indicted for Illegal Reentry

    NEW ORLEANS – Joel Alberto Henriquez-Herrera, 40, a native of Honduras, was indicted on August 21, 2026, for illegal reentry of a removed alien, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The indictment was announced on August 25, 2026. The case is at the charging stage and has not been resolved; no trial has been held.

    Court documents state that Henriquez-Herrera, an illegal alien, was found in Orleans Parish on August 18, 2026. He had previously been removed from the United States to Honduras on July 22, 2014. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison, up to one year of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a $100 mandatory special assessment.

    U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the defendant's guilt must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Henriquez-Herrera is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative. The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the prosecution is being overseen by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Veters.

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Revision history

  1. Version 125 Aug 2026, 16:53current

    First published.

  2. Version 125 Aug 2026, 16:47current

    First published.

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