A Mexican national residing illegally in Tyler, Texas, has been indicted for unlawfully reentering the United States. This was announced by Jay R. Combs, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas.
Jose Luis Rosales-Betancourt, aged 39, was named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury this week in the Eastern District of Texas. He is charged with unlawful reentry following removal.
The indictment claims that Betancourt had been deported twice before, in 2008 and 2013. Public records reveal that he was convicted of aggravated robbery in Smith County in 2006 and received a five-year prison sentence. In 2012, Betancourt was convicted again for illegal reentry following removal in the Eastern District of Texas and sentenced to 30 months.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration and eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs). The operation involves resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
If found guilty, Betancourt could face up to 20 years in federal prison followed by deportation.
The investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations-Immigration and Customs Enforcement along with the Smith County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucas Machicek is prosecuting the case.
It should be noted that a federal indictment does not serve as evidence of guilt; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
