Illegal alien returns to federal prison for unlawful reentry into US and violating supervised release

HOUSTON - A 36-year-old Mexican national has been sentenced for violating the terms of his supervised released after his removal from the country, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.

Marco Antonio Zuniga pleaded guilty March 26, 2026.

U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks has now ordered Zuniga to serve 27 months in federal prison for the illegal reentry. He also received an additional eight months for violating his term of supervised release following a conviction for meth trafficking. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.

Zuniga was convicted of the drug offense, placed on supervised release following his release and removed from the United States. However, authorities encountered him again Aug. 18, 2025, in Houston with no authorization to be in the country.

According to the terms of his supervised release, he was not to commit any new offenses. He did so, however, by illegally reentering the United States.

Zuniga has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ekua Assabill 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.