A 50-year-old Mexican national has been sentenced for illegally re-entering the United States after his previous deportation, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. Maurilio Jastinto-Juarez has been ordered to serve six months in prison, followed by a year of supervised release, and was additionally fined a mandatory special assessment of $100, as stated in a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

After an initial removal on December 16, 2022, Jastinto-Juarez was later apprehended following an arrest for driving while intoxicated in Houma, Louisiana, on March 17, 2024. The re-entry was detected when Louisiana State Police, performing routine procedures, managed to quickly piece together his identity and legal status through the collection and analysis of his fingerprints. Homeland Security systems were also alerted to his presence, which led to the current charges being filed against him.

His latest encounter with law enforcement and subsequent legal proceedings underscore ongoing efforts by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), local Louisiana state police, and the Terrebonne Sheriff's Office to pursue and prosecute cases of illegal re-entry following deportation. U.S. Attorney Evans commended these entities for their diligent work in this matter.

"U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Louisiana State Police, and the Terrebonne Sherriff's Office in investigating this matter," the press release noted, highlighting the cooperative effort that led to the sentencing of Jastinto-Juarez. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr., of the General Crimes Unit, was credited with managing duly to carry out the prosecution, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office.