Nicholas J. Ganjei United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
A Mexican citizen with a history of felonies has been sentenced for illegally reentering the United States after being removed eight times. This was announced by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Julio Cesar Corona-Corona, 30, entered a guilty plea on October 7, 2024. U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal sentenced him to 37 months in federal prison. Corona-Corona, who is not a U.S. citizen, is expected to face removal proceedings again once he completes his imprisonment.
During the court hearing, it was revealed that Corona-Corona was arrested in 2022 for smuggling people. He had fled from police in a vehicle carrying eight individuals, which posed risks to both those in the vehicle and the surrounding community. Judge Rosenthal remarked that Corona-Corona's motivation to come to the U.S. for work or family reasons is common. Despite previous court warnings, Corona-Corona continued to unlawfully reenter the country, shown by his frequent encounters with immigration authorities. Additionally, a three-year supervised release term was imposed to deter further unlawful reentry after his prison term.
Corona-Corona's criminal record includes felony convictions for illegal reentry and human smuggling. He was first removed from the U.S. on January 25, 2014, and subsequently reentered illegally eight times between 2014 and April 2020. During 2017-2018, he was removed six times alone.
Corona-Corona will stay in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility. U.S. Attorney Ganjei stated, “What those outside our country need to understand is that despite what they may have heard in the past, our immigration laws are being strictly enforced. If somebody breaks our laws by sneaking across the border, they are going to be prosecuted, jailed, and then deported. The sooner that message spreads, the better it will be for everyone.”
The investigation was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations with help from the Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Wirsing prosecuted the case.
The case falls under Operation Take Back America, a national initiative using Department of Justice resources to tackle illegal immigration and combat cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
