E. Martin Estrada, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California
Federal prosecutors, in collaboration with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal law enforcement partners, have filed charges against 16 individuals accused of illegally re-entering the United States after removal. This announcement was made by the Justice Department today.
Among those charged are individuals previously convicted of felony offenses before their removal from the U.S., including sexual abuse of children. One defendant faces charges in state court for a murder committed in Inglewood last month.
Re-entering the United States following removal carries a base sentence of up to two years in federal prison. However, if an individual was removed after a felony conviction, they could face up to 10 years, and those removed following an aggravated felony could face up to 20 years.
Several cases have been highlighted based on information from court documents:
Jose Cristian Saravia-Sanchez, a 30-year-old from El Salvador, has been charged after being arrested by Inglewood Police Department for a February 25 murder during an attempted theft of a catalytic converter. Federal law enforcement found that Saravia had been previously removed in 2013 but returned illegally. During his arrest on March 6, officers discovered a firearm in his hotel room bathroom. Saravia's criminal history includes a felony conviction for taking a vehicle without consent in May 2023.
Francisco Marquina-Sierra, aged 32 from Mexico, faces charges as an illegal alien found in the United States post-removal. Previously ordered removed by an immigration judge in December 2013, Marquina's criminal history involves convictions for second-degree robbery and child abuse with potential great bodily injury. A federal magistrate judge denied him bond on March 12.
Luis Enrique Barreto, aged 38 from Mexico and a convicted sex offender, is indicted for failing to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) and returning illegally post-removal. Barreto was arrested living near a school; he had previously been convicted of lewd acts upon a child. Despite his removal to Mexico in September 2021, he returned without registering as required.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt. The cases are being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations alongside ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Prosecutions are managed by Assistant United States Attorneys within the Domestic Security and Immigration Crimes Section as well as the General Crimes Section.
