Honduran Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry After Deportation

Victor Lopez-Mejia, a Honduran national, pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the United States after having been formally deported—a federal crime that carries stiff penalties and near-certain removal once sentenced. The admission came in U.S. District Court in Concord, New Hampshire, before Judge Landya McCafferty, marking the end of a case that began with a high-speed foot chase and ended with ICE confirmation of prior removal.

Lopez-Mejia was charged via federal indictment returned by a Grand Jury on October 19, 2016. The charge stems from a traffic stop on May 1, 2016, when a New Hampshire State Police Trooper pulled over a vehicle for speeding. Lopez-Mejia, a passenger, bolted from the car the moment the officer began checking identities. He didn’t get far. Officers caught him after a brief but intense foot pursuit through rough terrain near the roadside.

Once detained, authorities contacted a Deportation Officer with Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations in Manchester. Fingerprint checks and immigration records quickly confirmed what investigators suspected: Lopez-Mejia had already been deported to Honduras once before. That prior removal made his return a felony under federal law, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, though sentencing guidelines suggest a shorter term.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Prosecutors built their case on irrefutable documentation of Lopez-Mejia’s initial deportation, backed by eyewitness testimony from the trooper and ICE officials who handled the identification process. No plea deal details have been disclosed, but Lopez-Mejia waived his right to trial and admitted guilt in open court.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega is handling the prosecution. Lopez-Mejia is scheduled to be sentenced at 11:00 AM on April 20, 2017. While the exact prison term remains pending, federal judges routinely impose sentences of several months to over a year for illegal reentry, especially when flight is involved. After serving any sentence, Lopez-Mejia will face immediate deportation proceedings.

This case underscores the federal government’s continued focus on immigration enforcement, particularly targeting individuals with prior removal orders. With ICE cooperation and rapid verification tools, law enforcement is increasingly able to connect routine traffic stops to broader immigration violations—turning minor infractions into federal convictions. Lopez-Mejia’s flight only deepened the consequences of his return.

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