Nicholas J. Ganjei United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
A Mexican citizen, Jose Martin Valdez-Galvan, 38, has been convicted of illegally reentering the United States using a false identity. U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced the verdict after a jury deliberated for four hours following a two-day trial.
Valdez-Galvan was discovered in Laredo on June 11, 2024, where he provided a false name and claimed U.S. citizenship to evade charges related to unauthorized vehicle use. Testimony indicated that Valdez-Galvan had previously been deported and returned without permission, assuming another's identity in 2015 after his second removal. Fingerprint evidence confirmed his identity.
During the trial, Valdez-Galvan contested his identity claim, supported by testimony from his mother who stated he had a different name despite previous identifications as Valdez-Galvan. The defense challenged the reliability of the evidence but failed to sway the jury.
U.S. Attorney Ganjei emphasized the importance of identifying individuals entering and residing in the country: “Both public safety and basic common sense require us to know who is entering and residing in our country. Those that adopt false or stolen personas to hide their identities pose an increased criminal risk to our community.” He added that identity theft by foreign nationals would not be tolerated and would result in prosecution and potential deportation.
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will determine sentencing at a later date, with Valdez-Galvan facing up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine. He remains in custody until sentencing.
The investigation was led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations with Border Patrol assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan L. Oliver and Jay Hileman prosecuted the case.
