Illegal alien from Honduras previously convicted of assaulting officer and other crimes sent to federal prison

HOUSTON - A 39-year-old Honduran national who illegally resided in Houston has been sentenced for unlawfully reentering the country, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Wilson Antonio Vargas Argueta pleaded guilty Dec. 4, 2025.

U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. has now ordered Argueta to serve 24 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about his criminal history while illegally present in the country.

Argueta has multiple prior convictions for assault, driving while intoxicated and fleeing from law enforcement.

In 2020, he bit a police officer while resisting arrest. Argueta was convicted of the assault and eventually removed from the country.

He illegally returned and in 2025, authorities discovered him in Houston with no authorization to be there. He had been driving while under the influence of alcohol and refused to pull over when ordered to do so.

Argueta 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. Attorneys Ben Hostetter and Amanda Alum 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.