A Salvadoran national has pled guilty to the federal charge of illegal re-entry after being previously deported, U.S. Attorney's Office Eastern District of Louisiana announced. José Alfredo Jimenez-Centeno, 72, admitted to unlawfully returning to the United States, an act in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), last Tuesday. Jimenez-Centeno had been originally deported on August 20, 1996, and now faces severe consequences for his actions.
The details of Jimenez-Centeno's indictment were straightforward and stem from his re-entry after his prior deportation nearly three decades ago. If convicted, Jimenez-Centeno could face up to two years in prison and a fine that could soar as high as $250,000. Not only that, he could be placed on supervised release for up to one year, and is also required to pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. Complicating his situation is a sentencing enhancement that adds 20 years to his potential sentence, due to a prior felony conviction, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
This case against Jimenez-Centeno was brought to light by the investigative efforts of the United States Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachal Cassagne and Jon Maestri from the General Crimes Unit are leading the prosecution efforts in this case.
