Honduran national sentenced to 46 months for illegally reentering the US

ORLANDO, Fla. — An illegal alien from Honduras was sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States after being previously deported twice following an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando.

Elmer Edin Chavarria-Morales, 32, of Honduras, to 3 years and 10 months in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States after deportation. Chavarria-Morales entered a guilty plea on Aug. 28, 2024.

According to court records, Chavarria-Morales, a citizen of Honduras, was convicted of rape in Indiana state court on June 26, 2018, and was deported from the United States on Sept. 21, 2018. Chavarria-Morales reentered the United States and was convicted of illegal reentry after deportation in the Southern District of Texas on Feb. 22, 2021, and was deported from the United States a second time on Nov. 11, 2022.

Following his two deportations, Chavarria-Morales was arrested on April 2, 2024, by the Daytona Beach Police Department and was subsequently convicted of assault (domestic violence) on April 16, 2024. After his arrest, law enforcement learned that Chavarria-Morales was illegally present in the United States.

This case was investigated by HSI Orlando. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Hu.

HSI Tampa's area of responsibility, which includes 10 geographically strategic offices, covers more than 51,600 square miles of the total 65,757 square miles in the state of Florida. This region has more than 14.2 million people and includes 58 of the 67 counties. HSI Tampa also includes five of the 10 largest cities in Florida, 15 primary commercial service airports, and 11 seaports.

Learn more about HSI Tampa’s mission to increase public safety in Florida communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @HSITampa.