Yuma, Arizona - Over a recent period, 11 individuals appearing before the magistrate judge recently were charged and convicted of “re-entry after deportation.” All 11 had been previously deported for illegally entering the United States and had lengthy criminal histories.
Ten felons received sentences ranging from nine to 35 months, followed by three years of supervised release. The eleventh received 120 days and three years of supervised release.
All 11 were “aggravated felons,” a term used to describe a category of offenses carrying particularly harsh consequences for those convicted. Some of their offenses included conspiracy, harboring aliens, grand theft auto, probation violations, and manufacturing, distributing or disbursing controlled substances. Regardless of their immigration status, non-citizens convicted of an “aggravated felony” are prohibited from any relief that would spare them from deportation, including asylum, and from being readmitted to the United States in the future.
Pointing to their complex enforcement environment, United States Border Patrol agents face many dangers from illegal cross-border activity. “In 2016, virtually all crossings were facilitated by
Trans-national criminal organizations,” said Yuma Sector Chief Patrol Agent Anthony J. Porvaznik. “All who enter the United States illegally are breaking the law. Our goal is to provide the first line of defense for America and her people.”