Joel Becerra-Cesario, 38, a Mexican national with a history of felony drug conviction, has pled guilty to the federal offense of illegal reentry after deportation, according to an announcement by Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson. The court documents indicate that Becerra-Cesario was apprehended in Kenner, Louisiana on October 20, 2023, after having been previously deported on May 15, 2014.
The conviction relates back to a previous sentence for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, for which Becerra-Cesario served a 135-month prison term. This felony conviction originates from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Kansas. Now, at the upcoming sentencing scheduled for May 27, before U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey, Becerra-Cesario is expected to potentially receive up to 20 years in prison, fines as high as $250,000, along with up to three years of supervised release and mandatory special assessment fee of $100, as stated by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson extolled the efforts of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations for their work in investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis, from the General Crimes Unit, is managing the prosecution against Becerra-Cesario.
