Honduran illegal alien guilty after flight from trooper

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 46-year-old illegal alien who resided in Corpus Christi has been convicted of illegally reentering the United States, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.

A federal jury deliberated for approximately 15 minutes before returning the guilty verdict against Carlos Lopez-Mejia aka Eddi Alberto Lopez-Mejia following a one-day trial.

On Sept. 6, 2025, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle with excessively tinted windows and a non-complaint stop lamp. The driver presented a Mexican identification card and admitted he was present in the United States illegally.

Lopez-Mejia was the passenger in the front seat. Authorities also asked for his identification, but he refused to provide it or answer any questions. Upon the arrival of additional members of law enforcement, Lopez-Mejia exited the vehicle and fled on foot to a nearby apartment, but was quickly taken into custody.

The investigation revealed Lopez-Mejia had been removed from the United States in 2001 and 2019.

At trial, the jury heard from several members of law enforcement who provided details about the arrest, his prior removals from the United States, fingerprint analysis confirming his identity and that Lopez-Mejia had never sought status to legally enter or remain in the United States.

The defense attempted to convince the jury that the records of the prior removals were unreliable. They did not believe those claims and found Lopez-Mejia guilty as charged. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos presided over the trial and set sentencing for Oct. 7. At that time, Lopez-Mejia faces up to two years in federal prison.

He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Izaak Bruce and Zachary Bird prosecuted 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.