Jose Palma-Murillo, a 31-year-old man from Honduras, was sentenced to four months in federal prison on April 26, 2019, for illegally reentering the United States after prior deportation. The conviction marks another enforcement action in the federal crackdown on repeat immigration offenders crossing the southern border.
Palma-Murillo pleaded guilty on March 7, 2019, to one count of illegal re-entry by a previously removed noncitizen. During the plea, he admitted to crossing into the U.S. from Honduras on an unknown date following his formal deportation in June 2013. His return to American soil set off federal alarm bells once authorities identified his immigration history.
The case came to light on February 5, 2019, when Palma-Murillo was arrested in Emmetsburg, Iowa, on state charges of driving with a revoked license and failure to provide proof of insurance. Routine checks revealed his prior removal and unlawful status, triggering an immediate response from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations.
U.S. District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand handed down the four-month sentence in Sioux City. In addition to prison time, Palma-Murillo must serve a one-year term of supervised release upon completion of his incarceration. He remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending transfer to a federal correctional facility.
The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Fletcher, underscoring the Department of Justice’s continued prioritization of immigration enforcement in federal courts. The investigation was conducted by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Office, the same agency tasked with identifying, detaining, and removing individuals who violate U.S. immigration laws.
Case details are available through the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa’s electronic filing system. The official case file number is 19-CR-03008. For updates, follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
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Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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