Jefferson Reporter

A federal judge has sentenced a native of El Salvador for illegal re-entry into the United States, as announced by U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger.

U.S. District Court Judge Anna Manasco sentenced Juan Carlos Portillo, also known by several aliases including Jose Alberto Zamora Zamora and Jose Adalberto Lopez-Lopez, to the statutory maximum sentence of 24 months in prison. In February, Portillo pleaded guilty to one count of illegal re-entry after deportation.

According to the plea agreement, in July 2023, Homeland Security Investigations Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Birmingham received a tip from ERO San Salvador that Portillo was allegedly residing with one of his sisters in Columbiana, Alabama. In August 2023, HSI ERO received information that Portillo was at a residence in Chelsea, Alabama, working as a subcontractor. HSI agents searched the residence and found Portillo inside. He was then taken into custody.

According to HSI, Portillo is currently wanted in El Salvador and faces six arrest warrants for charges including aggravated kidnapping, attempted aggravated homicide, illicit association, aggravated extortion, terrorist organization activities, deprivation of liberty, and aggravated homicide. ERO San Salvador reported that Portillo is the alleged leader of one of the most violent cliques of the MS-13 gang in El Salvador. INTERPOL has also issued a Red Notice on Portillo.

HSI ERO investigated the case while Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory R. Dimler prosecuted it.