A man from El Salvador, who has a history of multiple deportations from the United States, has acknowledged his guilt for entering the country illegally once again. Melvin Alexander Orellana-Martinez, 54, has been deported from the U.S. on eight different occasions since 2007, only to be caught each time he crept back across the border.

In a recent court appearance before U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns, Orellana-Martinez pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien, reported the U.S. Department of Justice. Although the court has yet to schedule a sentencing date, the charge against him could lead to as much as 20 years in prison, along with three years of supervised release and potential fines amounting to $250,000.

Authorities note Orellana-Martinez's rap sheet includes a collection of convictions from federal courts in California and Texas. Between 2008 and 2019, he faced charges five times for illegal reentry or improper entry into the country. Notably, his last deportation from the U.S. occurred on January 14, 2020, but this did not dissuade him from making a return.

Ironically, it wasn't immigration enforcement but rather unrelated state charges that blew the whistle on Orellana-Martinez's most recent foray into the United States. On January 6, 2023, he was apprehended, which led federal immigration authorities to realize he had defied his deportation yet again. Following his potential prison term, he will be subject to deportation proceedings. The case in question is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg, of the Major Crimes Unit, as announced by Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Todd M. Lyons, of the Boston Field Office Director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations.