Source: Office of United States Attorneys
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 36-year-old citizen of Mexico with a felony record has been sentenced for illegal reentry into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jose De Jesus Soto-Gonzalez pleaded guilty March 5.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered Soto-Gonzalez to serve 21 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is again expected to face removal proceedings following his sentence.
In handing down the sentence, the court noted Soto-Gonzalez had a felony conviction for possession with intent to distribute over 100 kilograms of marijuana and served approximately four years in prison before his removal in 2022. He illegally returned and was removed again in 2023. Authorities had also previously removed him in 2008 and 2014.
On Dec. 20, 2024, authorities encountered Soto-Gonzalez at the Border Patrol checkpoint near Falfurrias. They discovered he was a citizen of Mexico without any permission to be back in the United States. The investigation revealed he had illegally reentered the country in July 2024 near Laredo after his 2023 removal.
Soto-Gonzalez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Martin prosecuted the case.