A 23-year-old Mexican man, Jose Luis Arevalo Gonzalez, has been sentenced for illegally re-entering the United States after a prior removal, as announced by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Arevalo pleaded guilty on January 4th, and U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo has now ordered him to serve 23 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Arevalo, who is not a U.S. citizen, is anticipated to undergo removal proceedings after his imprisonment. During the hearing, the court learned that Arevalo was associated with the Paisas gang and had a previous conviction for firearms trafficking.
In a previous incident, law enforcement intercepted Arevalo's attempt to smuggle 11 semi-automatic rifles and 85 rifle magazines into Mexico.
Arevalo was released from prison on October 18, 2023, but was ordered to be removed the following week. However, authorities encountered him near Laredo just a week after his removal.
Arevalo will remain in custody until his transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility, which will be determined soon.
The investigation was conducted by Border Patrol, and the case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Terence A. Check Jr.
