A 23-year-old Mexican man has been thrown back behind bars following his second conviction for illegal re-entry into the United States, according to U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. The convicted gun smuggler, Jose Luis Arevalo Gonzalez, received a stiff 23-month sentence for his most recent offense.
Arevalo pled guilty on January 4 and was handed his sentence by U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo, as first reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Following his prison term, Arevalo will face a three-year supervised release. Non-citizen Arevalo is also slated to undergo removal from the United States after serving his time. Previously, Arevalo had been part of the Paisas gang and got nabbed for trafficking firearms. His criminal portfolio included the attempt to smuggle 11 semi-automatic rifles and 85 rifle magazines over the border into Mexico.
The convict's prior stint in prison ended on October 18, 2023, with the authorities ordering his removal from the U.S. shortly after. However, it was merely a week after his removal that the long arm of the law caught up with him near Laredo. Judge Marmolejo noted the severity of Arevalo’s offenses during his sentencing.
Arevalo is currently being held in custody until authorities can transfer him to a federal prison to begin his sentence. The investigation leading to his capture and conviction was carried out by Border Patrol, with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Terence A. Check Jr. handling the prosecution side of the proceedings. The future location of Arevalo’s incarceration in the Bureau of Prisons system is yet to be determined.
