Jason M. Frierson U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada
A Mexican national, Jose Alberto Santacruz-Benitez, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release for illegally reentering the United States after being removed five times. The sentence was issued by United States District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey.
Court records show that Santacruz-Benitez had been deported from the U.S. on five occasions: October 22, 2009; June 5, 2014; June 30, 2014; September 17, 2017; and November 30, 2021. Despite these removals, he repeatedly returned to the country and continued to violate laws.
Before his first removal, Santacruz-Benitez was convicted of conspiracy to commit kidnapping. According to court statements, he and others kidnapped two men they suspected of stealing drugs and subjected them to hours of beatings, mock drownings, and threats against their lives and families.
Following his initial removal from the United States, Santacruz-Benitez was convicted in state court for two separate felony drug possession incidents. He also received two federal convictions for unlawfully reentering the country under Title 8 U.S.C. §1326. This recent conviction marks his third offense under that statute.
After his last removal in November 2021, Santacruz-Benitez returned again without authorization. In September 2022, immigration officials found him after Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers arrested him for shooting five people at a birthday party. He was subsequently convicted in state court of attempted murder with use of a deadly weapon.
"First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Deputy Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Sherwin for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles made the announcement."
The investigation was conducted by HSI Los Angeles with prosecution handled by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.
Members of the public are encouraged to report crimes or suspicious activity through the DHS tip line at 866-347-2423 or via an online form.
