Will Chourio-Soto/Venezuela/Sexual Assault

Federal immigration agents arrested Will Chourio-Soto, a Venezuela national an illegal migrant, in Huntsville, Texas, on charges of sexual assault.

Sexual assault charges are among the most serious in the criminal justice system, carrying potential for lengthy sentences and lifetime sex offender registration requirements. For illegal aliens, the case triggers two simultaneous legal processes — a criminal prosecution by local or state authorities, and a federal immigration removal proceeding on a separate timeline. Chourio-Soto faces consequences on two independent legal fronts simultaneously.

Following the arrest, Chourio-Soto was transferred to federal immigration detention. Removal proceedings before a Department of Justice immigration judge are pending, with Venezuela as the country of removal.