Illegal Alien Sentenced to 60 Years in Prison for 2021 Murder

State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that Yery Noel Medina Ulloa pleaded guilty to Second-Degree Murder and Tampering with Evidence related to the 2021 murder of Francisco Javier Cuellar. Pursuant to the plea agreement, the Honorable Mark Borello during a March 3, 2023, hearing sentenced Medina Ulloa to 60 years in Florida State Prison.

Law enforcement determined — with assistance from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — that Medina Ulloa, a Honduran citizen, was apprehended by Border Patrol agents in McAllen, Texas, after attempting to illegally enter at the U.S.-Mexico border. Once apprehended, Medina Ulloa provided a false name, date of birth, and claimed to be a juvenile. Medina Ulloa was then served a Notice to Appear and released. Medina Ulloa was later flown to Jacksonville, Florida.

“As we have seen time and time again, the federal government’s failure to secure our nation’s border has led to a travesty in a local community. This time, tragically, it was our community after an illegal alien murdered an innocent man. This 60-year sentence, however, ensures Medina Ulloa will never be able to harm another law abiding citizen,” said State Attorney Melissa Nelson.

On Oct. 7, 2021, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office responded to an Arlington address after witnesses were approached by Medina Ulloa, who was covered in blood. Another witness responded to the scene and told officers he received a call and text from Medina Ulloa saying he had killed Cuellar. Officers saw Medina Ulloa covered in blood in a nearby neighborhood and observed a trail of blood in a driveway on Lone Star Road where the front door of the residence was partially open.

When officers conducted a welfare check, they found Cuellar dead on the floor of the living room. A search warrant was executed, and an investigation revealed Cuellar had died from several stab wounds and blunt force trauma. The inside of the home had a surveillance system that captured the brutal murder. Medina Ulloa was arrested and admitted to the crime.

The investigation was led by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Tom Mangan.