CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 33-year old Guatemalan citizen has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for illegally re-entering the United States after deportation, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Edward Estuardo Jacinto-Garcia pleaded guilty Nov. 27, 2018.
Today, Senior U.S. District Judge Hilda Tagle sentenced Jacinto-Garcia to 72 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court considered that prior to Jacinto-Garcia’s first deportation from the United States, he had been convicted of sexual assault and had previously been convicted of illegally re-entering the country and failing to register as a sex offender. In handing down the sentence, Judge Tagle noted that it was appropriate given the seriousness of the offense and to protect the public. Jacinto-Garcia was on supervised release at the time of the new offense. Judge Tagle revoked that term and ordered he serve an additional two months to be served consecutively.
On Oct. 14, 2018, Border Patrol (BP) agents encountered a group of seven undocumented aliens in the brush near U.S. Highway 281 who had attempted to circumvent the immigration checkpoint near Falfurrias. At the time of the arrests, agents determined Jacinto-Garcia was a citizen and national of Guatemala who had previously been deported from the United States and had re-entered without permission.
In custody since his arrest, Jacinto-Garcia will remain in federal custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility
BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lance Watt is prosecuting the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
