According to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans, a 50-year-old Mexican national has been convicted for illegally reentering the United States after being deported before. According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Maurilio Jastinto-Juarez has been sentenced to six months in prison, followed by a year of supervised release, and has been fined $100 as a mandatory special assessment.
On March 17, 2024, Louisiana State Police arrested Jastinto-Juarez for driving while intoxicated in Houma, Louisiana, following his initial removal on December 16, 2022. The re-entry was found when Louisiana State Police, using standard processes, were able to rapidly put together his identity and legal status by collecting and analyzing his fingerprints. They also alerted Homeland Security systems to his presence, which led to the filing of the current charges.
His most recent interaction with law enforcement and related judicial processes highlights ongoing efforts by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), local Louisiana state police, and the Terrebonne Sheriff’s Office to seek and prosecute cases of illegal re-entry after deportation. U.S. Attorney Evans praised these entities for their hard work in this case.
“U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Louisiana State Police, and the Terrebonne Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter,” the press release stated, emphasizing the collaborative effort that resulted in Jastinto-Juarez’s sentence. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit was responsible for carrying out the prosecution.