Unlawfully present Mexican citizen sentenced to a 42 months following ERO Chicago arrest

CHICAGO — An unlawfully present Mexican man and previously convicted sexual predator pleaded guilty to illegal reentry in November 2023 and will serve a 42-month sentence in an Indiana Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) Chicago, in coordination with the Indianapolis Police Department in Indianapolis, Indiana, arrested the unlawfully present Mexican man with prior convictions for sexual battery, operating a vehicle while intoxicated and illegal reentry into the United States during target enforcement operation Jan. 1, 2023.

“By promoting a culture of interagency cooperation and vigilance, ERO has a greater ability to detect and identify unlawfully present criminals who pose a risk to public safety in our communities,” said ERO Chicago Field Office Director LaDeon Francis. “This individual’s criminal history is a prime example as to why it is so important for ERO Chicago to do all we can to remove these individuals from our neighborhoods. Had we not used our administrative authority to arrest him, this sexual predator and repeat immigration offender would still be on the streets with the potential to offend again.”

The Mexican man entered the United States at an unknown location on an unknown date without inspection by immigration officers. He was granted voluntary departure by an immigration judge with the Justice Department’s Executive Office of Immigration Review on Jan. 18, 2018, but later reentered the United States at an unknown location on an unknown date. U.S. Customs and Border Protection later apprehended him, and on Feb. 1, 2013, an immigration judge ordered him removed. He was removed three times in 2014.

On Nov. 8, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana sentenced the unlawfully present man to 42 months in prison for unlawfully reentering the United States after being previously removed.

ERO Chicago has lodged an immigration detainer on the convicted sexual predator pending removal proceedings.

As one of ICE’s three operational directorates, ERO is the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency’s detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO’s workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings, and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.

Members of the public can report crimes or suspicious activity by calling 866-347-2423 or completing ICE’s online tip form.

Learn more about ERO’s mission to increase public safety in your community on X, formerly known as Twitter, @EROChicago.

Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE.gov)