Jason M. Frierson U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada
A Mexican national, Victor Jesus Apodaca-Gomez, also known as Carlos Alberto Cardenas, appeared in a Las Vegas court to face charges of illegally reentering the United States after being deported twice. The 31-year-old is charged with one count of being a deported alien found in the U.S., with a preliminary hearing set for June 2, 2025, before Magistrate Judge Brenda N. Weksler.
According to the criminal complaint and court statements, Apodaca-Gomez was previously removed from the U.S. on April 9, 2020, and May 17, 2022. He allegedly re-entered the country by October 24, 2023. In October 2023, he was arrested by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police on drug-related charges and later convicted in Clark County for possession of a controlled substance and conspiracy to violate the controlled substance act.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) became aware of his presence in the country on October 25, 2023. After serving time in Nevada's correctional system, he was transferred to ICE custody on January 30, 2025.
If found guilty of the current charge, Apodaca-Gomez could face up to two years in prison along with supervised release and financial penalties.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada alongside Michael Bernacke from ICE’s Salt Lake City Field Office. The case is being investigated by ICE’s Salt Lake City Las-Vegas Sub-Office and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for Nevada.
Authorities remind that "a complaint is merely an accusation" and stress that defendants are "presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty."
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