Jose Alberto Santacruz-Benitez, a Mexican national with multiple violent felony convictions, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for illegal reentry into the United States, marking his third conviction under 8 U.S.C. § 1326. He had been deported five times and now faces three years of supervised release following his sentence from U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Santacruz-Benitez’s criminal history includes a conspiracy to commit kidnapping, multiple felony drug possession charges, and two prior federal unlawful reentry convictions. In September 2022, he was also arrested for shooting five people at a Las Vegas birthday party, resulting in an attempted murder conviction, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Homeland Security Investigations in Los Angeles, together with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada, investigated and prosecuted Santacruz-Benitez for illegal reentry. He has a history of serious crimes and now faces a significant sentence. The case shows how DHS tracks and apprehends individuals who violate immigration laws. The public can report crimes or suspicious activity by calling 866-DHS-2-ICE or submitting an online tip form.
