MS-13 Gang member pleads guilty to illegal reentry after federal racketeering conviction

BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Yelso Ollyder Castro-Licona, 38, a citizen and native of Honduras, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to reentry of a removed alien subsequent to an aggravated felony conviction, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Castro-Licona is an alien without any legal status in the United States. In July 2004, he was found to be illegally present in the United States and was physically removed in January 2008. In November 2008, Castro-Licona was once again found to be illegally present in the United States, and the prior order of removal was reinstated. In May 2010, Castro-Licona, a member of the MS-13 gang, was convicted on a federal racketeering conspiracy charge. According to the prior case, the racketeering activity included murder, robbery, extortion, witness tampering, obstruction of justice, drug trafficking, and federal firearms violations. He was sentenced to serve 75 months in prison and was released from custody in May 2014. In July 2014, Castro-Licona was physically removed once again from the United States. In February 2026, he was found in Erie County, NY, in the Western District of New York. He did not possess any legal documents allowing him to be present in the United States. 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 case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan W. Fitzgerald. The plea is the result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Acting Chief Patrol Agent James D’Amato, the Department of Homeland Security Enforcement and Removal Operations, under the direction of Acting Field Operations Director Phillip Rhoney, and the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Christopher Bourke. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date. # # # #