REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER FROM HONDURAS SENTENCED FOR ILLEGAL REENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES

Kevin Noel Ochoa Venegas (a/k/a Kevin Noel Ochoa-Venegas, a/k/a Kevin Noel Banegas Banegas, a/k/a Kevin Noel Banegas, a/k/a Kevin Banegas, a/k/a Kevin Noel Banega), 32, of Honduras, was sentenced to federal prison after previously pleading guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: "This criminal illegal alien thought he could continue to violate our nation's immigration laws with impunity, but Operation Take Back America was launched upon the promise by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi that we would devote our legal resources to fully enforcing federal law against such criminals. This successful prosecution delivers on that promise, and we will ensure this criminal illegal alien is deported yet again, and with our border secure he will not be able to return."

According to court documents, on April 11, 2025, the defendant was arrested in Bay County, Florida, for driving without a valid license. Law enforcement determined that the defendant was a citizen of Honduras who was illegally present in the United States. An investigation revealed that the defendant was previously removed from the United States in 2016, and again in 2021 after he was convicted in Bay County, Florida, for a sex crime that resulted in him being designated a sex offender. The defendant did not apply for or receive permission to reenter the United States since his last removal from the United States in 2021.

An ICE detainer has been lodged against the defendant, and he will begin deportation proceedings.

The case involved a joint investigation by the Bay County Sheriff's Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations. The case was being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.

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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation's principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.