Jason M. Frierson U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada
Two Mexican nationals in Las Vegas have been charged with illegally reentering the United States after previous deportations. Juan Carlos Verdin-Covarrubias, 41, and Uriel Lira-Cabrera, 44, face one count each of being a deported alien found in the United States. Their preliminary hearings are set for April 3, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Nancy J. Koppe.
The criminal complaints allege that both men are citizens of Mexico who were previously removed from the U.S. Verdin-Covarrubias was handed over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by the Nevada Department of Corrections on March 12, 2025. He had been deported around April 21, 2006, following a conviction for unlawful sale of a controlled substance in Washoe County, Nevada. After returning illegally to the U.S., he was convicted again for drug-related offenses in Clark County, Nevada, and sentenced to imprisonment on February 16, 2022.
Lira-Cabrera was arrested by ICE in Las Vegas on March 5, 2025. He had been deported six times between February 5, 2007, and November 27, 2021. Before his first deportation, he was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon in Los Angeles County, California. He also has two prior felony convictions for illegal reentry into the U.S., one in Arizona and another in Nevada.
Both defendants could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted along with additional penalties including supervised release and fines.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Field Office Director Michael Bernacke. The case is being investigated by ICE's Salt Lake City office and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.
Members of the public are encouraged to report crimes or suspicious activities via phone or an online tip form.
"A complaint is merely an accusation," authorities remind the public; "a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty."
