A Mexican citizen, Juan Jose Carrasco Cardenas, age 40 and most recently living in Meriden, Connecticut, was sentenced to six months in prison for illegally reentering the United States after deportation. The sentence was issued by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford.
According to court records and statements made during proceedings, Carrasco Cardenas first encountered U.S. Border Patrol agents in January 2002 and was voluntarily returned to Mexico. In May 2009, he again entered the country illegally in Arizona, resulting in a five-day jail sentence for improper entry before another voluntary return to Mexico.
In January 2018, authorities arrested Carrasco Cardenas in Saline County, Kansas on charges related to marijuana trafficking. He was convicted of a state marijuana distribution offense and served a 30-month jail term before being removed to Mexico in October 2019.
On August 27, 2025, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officers arrested Carrasco Cardenas in Meriden. He pleaded guilty to illegal reentry on September 18 and has been detained since his arrest. After serving his current prison sentence, he will be removed once more to Mexico.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel prosecuted the case.
"This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime," according to the press release from David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
