A 50-year-old Honduran national living in Houston has pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the United States, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas.
Danilo Nunez-Avila has a history of illegal reentry convictions and was first removed from the country in 1991. Authorities have deported him at least eight times, court records indicate. He was most recently found in the United States on October 29, 2024, after police responded to a reported assault involving a family member.
U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett accepted Nunez-Avila’s plea and scheduled sentencing for March 21. Nunez-Avila could face up to 20 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. He remains in custody until sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ekua Assabill is prosecuting the case.
“This 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 criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime,” according to the announcement.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas handles federal prosecutions and civil cases on behalf of the government across 43 counties with over nine million residents. The office operates out of locations including Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Laredo, McAllen, and Brownsville and employs more than 200 attorneys as part of its work under the U.S. Department of Justice and Attorney General oversight.
The Southern District has seen several notable leaders in recent years such as Alamdar Hamdani (2022–2025) and Ryan Patrick, according to its official history.
