Convicted felon who assaulted officer sent to federal prison for illegally reentering U.S.

HOUSTON - A 34-year-old Honduran national has been sentenced for unlawfully returning to the country after a prior removal, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Jose Leon Cruz-Lanza pleaded guilty April 7.

U.S. District Judge Charles R. Eskridge has now ordered Cruz-Lanza to serve 70 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is again expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.

"The defendant in this case took a bad situation and made it much, much worse," said Ganjei. "You don't come to this country illegally, and you don't assault law enforcement. And you certainly don't do both of these at the same time. Hopefully this sentence serves as a lesson to other would-be lawbreakers."

Cruz-Lanza was first removed from the United States in 2017, but later illegally returned. He was convicted of illegal reentry and removed again. In May 2022, authorities found him in the United States again, this time in The Woodlands, after he had assaulted two members of law enforcement - a local police officer and a deputy constable.

He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant. U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Weinhold and Amanda Alum prosecuted the case.