United States v. Sandoval

Opinion

Case: 25-40714 Document: 69-1 Page: 1 Date Filed: 08/20/2026

United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit

____________

FILED

August 20, 2026

No. 25-40714 ____________ Lyle W. Cayce Clerk

United States of America,

Plaintiff—Appellee,

versus

Mario Joshua Sandoval, III,

Defendant—Appellant.

______________________________

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas USDC No. 2:25-CR-211-1

______________________________

Before Elrod, Chief Judge, and Clement and Oldham, Circuit Judges. Per Curiam: * Mario Joshua Sandoval III challenges a special condition of supervised release requiring him to participate in a mental-health treatment program and comply with prescribed medication. Because Sandoval did not object to the condition at sentencing, our review is for plain error. United States v. Garcia-

_____________________

*

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

Case: 25-40714 Document: 69-1 Page: 2 Date Filed: 08/20/2026

No. 25-40714

Gonzalez, 714 F.3d 306, 317 (5th Cir. 2013) (citing United States v. Olano, 507 U.S. 725, 732 (1993)).

To obtain relief, Sandoval must establish a clear or obvious error affecting his substantial rights. Puckett v. United States, 556 U.S. 129, 135 (2009) (citing Olano, 507 U.S. at 736). District courts possess broad discretion to impose special conditions of supervised release that satisfy the requirements of 18 U.S.C. § 3583(d). United States v. Alvarez, 880 F.3d 236, 239 (5th Cir. 2018) (citing United States v. Fernandez, 776 F.3d 344, 346 (5th Cir. 2015)). A challenged condition can be affirmed if the court’s reasoning may be inferred from the record. Alvarez, 880 F.3d at 240 (citing United States v. Caravayo, 809 F.3d 269, 275 (5th Cir. 2015)).

Sandoval has not shown a clear or obvious error. The record reflects information concerning his personal history, military service, substance abuse, and mental-health background. Specifically, the PSR details that Sandoval was diagnosed with ADHD and anger issues, for which he attended counseling and was prescribed medication. The PSR also indicates that Sandoval was told he may have a mental health disorder and that Sandoval self-medicates with alcohol and marijuana, potentially as a result of his experiences serving on the U.S.-Mexico border with the U.S. Army National Guard.

Given this record, Sandoval has not established that the district court plainly erred by imposing this special condition of supervised release. Accordingly, the district court’s judgment is AFFIRMED.