Nicholas J. Ganjei United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
A 47-year-old Mexican national residing illegally in Houston has been sentenced to federal prison, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Josue Rodriguez-Rodriguez, who pleaded guilty on March 14, has been ordered by U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. to serve 69 months in federal prison. Following his imprisonment, Rodriguez-Rodriguez is expected to face removal proceedings as he is not a U.S. citizen. The court noted that a previous 41-month sentence for illegal reentry did not deter him.
Rodriguez-Rodriguez's criminal record includes felony convictions for illegal reentry and two convictions for aggravated assault-family violence and possession with intent to deliver or manufacture a controlled substance. He was first removed from the United States in 2000.
Authorities discovered Rodriguez-Rodriguez near Carrizo Springs on May 5, 2014, marking his tenth illegal entry into the country. He was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison and removed again but was found once more on February 23, 2021, in Houston.
"Our nation’s immigration laws are not mere suggestions; they are backed by criminal penalties," said Ganjei. "The defendant could have easily avoided further prison time by simply remaining in Mexico, but he instead chose to break the law…again…and again…and again. Perhaps with today’s sentence, Mr. Rodriguez-Rodriguez will finally understand the lesson he should have learned long ago."
Rodriguez-Rodriguez will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility yet to be determined.
The investigation was conducted by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Franklyn prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators. It integrates efforts from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
