A Mexican national with a felony record was sentenced on May 7 to serve 40 months in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States, according to Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
The case concerns Jose Alejandro Luna-Rangel, age 32, who pleaded guilty on Feb. 25 to returning to the country without authorization after being previously removed following a conviction for driving under the influence with a child in the vehicle.
U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal imposed the sentence and said it reflected the need to deter further criminal conduct, citing Luna-Rangel’s repeated violations of law and pattern of dangerous behavior. Following his prison term, Luna-Rangel is expected to face removal proceedings.
Authorities discovered Luna-Rangel again on Nov. 5, 2022, in Harris County after he had been convicted of assault-family violence and felony driving while intoxicated (third offense). He has remained in custody since that time and will be transferred to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility at a later date.
Immigration Customs Enforcement – Enforcement Removal Operations conducted the investigation while Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Law prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, described as an initiative by the Department of Justice aiming "to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from perpetrators of violent crime." The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas focuses on prosecuting federal crimes and handling civil cases for the government; it employs more than 200 attorneys across offices in Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Laredo, McAllen and Brownsville serving over nine million people across 43 counties according to its official website.
