United States Court of Appeals 

for the Fifth Circuit ____________ 

No. 23-11186 

Summary Calendar 

____________ 

United States of America, 

Plaintiff—Appellee, 

versus

Jesse Huerra, 

Defendant—Appellant. 

______________________________ 

Appeal from the United States District Court 

for the Northern District of Texas 

USDC No. 6:16-CR-12-6 

______________________________ 

Before Jones, Smith, and Dennis, Circuit Judges.

Per Curiam:*

Jesse Huerra, federal prisoner # 54510-177, appeals the district court’s 

denial of his motion for compassionate release brought under 18 U.S.C. 

§ 3582(c)(1)(A). In its order, the district court stated that it had reviewed 

Huerra’s arguments and denied the motion after finding that he had failed to 

demonstrate that extraordinary and compelling circumstances warranted 

_____________________ 

*

 This opinion is not designated for publication. See 5th Cir. R. 47.5. 

United States Court of Appeals 

Fifth Circuit 

FILED 

April 4, 2024 

Lyle W. Cayce 

Clerk 

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No. 23-11186 

2 

relief and after considering the applicable factors set forth in 18 U.S.C. 

§ 3553(a). Huerra contends that the district court failed to adequately 

consider or discuss his extraordinary and compelling reasons for 

compassionate release or the applicability of the § 3553(a) factors. 

We review the denial of Huerra’s § 3582(c)(1)(A)(i) motion for abuse 

of discretion. See United States v. Chambliss, 948 F.3d 691, 693 (5th Cir. 

2020). A district court may modify a sentence, after considering the 

applicable 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) factors, if “extraordinary and compelling 

reasons warrant such a reduction.” 18 U.S.C. § 3582 (c)(1)(A)(i). Although 

the court must provide specific reasons, Chambliss, 948 F.3d at 693, the 

amount of explanation needed depends “upon the circumstances of the 

particular case.” Chavez-Meza v. United States, 138 S. Ct. 1959, 1965 (2018). 

“In some cases, it may be sufficient for purposes of appellate review that the 

judge simply relied upon the record, while making clear that he or she has 

considered the parties’ arguments and taken account of the § 3553(a) 

factors.” Id. 

In United States v. Gallegos, No. 21-50814, 2022 WL 2752601, at *1 

(5th Cir. 2022) (unpublished), though “the district court’s explanation was 

brief,” a panel of our court rejected a defendant’s argument “regarding the 

sufficiency of the” district court’s “reasons for denying” a § 3582(c)(1)(A) 

motion because (1) the district court explicitly considered the briefing before 

it; (2) the district court expressly stated that it considered the § 3553(a) 

factors; and (3) the same district judge who denied the motion for 

compassionate release originally sentenced the defendant. All three 

circumstances are present in this case. Accordingly, even though the district 

court’s order denying Huerra’s § 3582(c)(1)(A)(i) motion was “brief,” 

“[t]he rationale for the” district court’s “decision is adequately 

discernable” from the record. See id. The court was particularly concerned 

with the need to provide just punishment and afford adequate deterrence, 

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3 

both of which are § 3553(a) factors. See 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)(2)(A)-(B). To 

the extent Huerra disagrees with the district court’s balancing of the § 

3553(a) factors, mere disagreement does not warrant reversal. See Chambliss, 

948 F.3d at 694.1

For the foregoing reasons, the district court’s decision is 

AFFIRMED. 

_____________________ 

1

 We need not consider Huerra’s contention that the district court erred in finding 

that he failed to show extraordinary and compelling reasons warranting relief because the 

district court did not abuse its discretion in its alternative holding that relief was not 

warranted under the § 3553(a) factors. See United States v. Ward, 11 F.4th 354, 360-62 (5th 

Cir. 2021); Chambliss, 948 F.3d at 693. 

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