In a recent development, a 43-year-old Mexican man, Gabino Escamilla, has been sentenced to 40 months in federal prison for illegally re-entering the United States, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Escamilla had pleaded guilty on November 8, 2023, leading to the sentencing by U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez. As Escamilla is not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings after serving his sentence. During the hearing, the court was informed about Escamilla's 2016 conviction for conspiracy to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine in Columbus, Ohio. Prior to this drug trafficking conviction, Escamilla had been removed from the United States six times.
Law enforcement encountered Escamilla near Laredo on August 30, 2023. He had previously been ordered removed on January 25, 2010, and had faced removal by authorities seven times between 2010 and 2019. Escamilla will remain in custody until he is transferred to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility, the location of which will be determined in the near future.
The Border Patrol conducted the investigation leading to this conviction.
