JORGE LUIS RUELAS-GUERRA, a 47-year-old Mexican national, has pleaded guilty to illegal re-entry of a removed alien. This announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson. The plea was entered on July 10, 2025, and sentencing is scheduled for October 23, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Barry W. Ashe.
Court documents reveal that Ruelas-Guerra reentered the United States after being deported on September 29, 2011. He was first encountered by the Houma Police Department during a traffic stop in Houma, Louisiana on May 17, 2024. Ruelas-Guerra failed to stop at a stop sign and presented a Mexican passport without having a driver’s license. Body cam footage confirmed his identity as the driver.
Information from the traffic stop matched Department of Homeland Security records from previous removals and booking photos from past arrests. Ruelas-Guerra had no immigration petitions or applications with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Ruelas-Guerra could face up to two years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, one year of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment fee.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson commended the efforts of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Houma Police Department in this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter K.D. Guice Jr., from the General Crimes Unit, is handling the prosecution.
