A Mexican national, Cesar Ruiz-Aguilar, has pleaded guilty to charges of illegal reentry into the United States. Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced the guilty plea, citing a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
Ruiz-Aguilar, aged 38, was previously deported from the United States on two occasions, March 13, 2010, and May 17, 2017. On February 1, 2024, he was found in the Eastern District of Louisiana without authorization from the Attorney General or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to return. United States District Court Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown has scheduled his sentencing for June 5, 2025.
The legal penalties Ruiz-Aguilar faces include a maximum imprisonment term of two years, a fine up to $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
"The work of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Tangipahoa Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter is commendable," said Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson. Assistant United States Attorney Jon Maestri from the General Crimes Unit is leading the prosecution.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America, a nationwide effort by the Department of Justice to combat illegal immigration, dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime. The initiative leverages efforts from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
