Mexican National Sentenced on Immigration Charges
COEUR D'ALENE – Raul Valencia-Ciprian, 29, of Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico, was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for being a deported alien found in the United States, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Valencia-Ciprian to serve two years of supervised release following his prison term, unless he is deported. The sentence will run concurrent with the defendant's state sentence for marijuana trafficking. Valencia-Ciprian pleaded guilty to the charge on April 19, 2011.
According to the plea agreement and immigration records, Valencia-Ciprian admitted to being a native and citizen of Mexico. He was lawfully removed from the United States on December 5, 2009, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine in July 2009. Valencia-Ciprian was found in Shoshone County, Idaho, on October 3, 2010, where he was interviewed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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