Prosecutions Continue In Illegal Entry Cases Involving Those With Prior Criminal Records

MINNEAPOLIS – In the District of Minnesota, separate charges have been filed against three foreign nationals who allegedly entered the United States illegally after being deported as criminals.

The first indictment alleges that on April 21, 2013, authorities found Lorenzo Armendariz-Sanchez, age 45, in the U.S. illegally after he had been previously deported to Mexico. His deportation followed a 1998 Faribault County conviction for burglary in the first degree. On April 21, 2013, authorities identified Armendariz-Sanchez, also known as Lorenzo Sanchez Armendariz, as an illegal alien with a criminal record while he was in the Blue Earth County jail, where he was being held after an arrest for burglary and domestic assault.

Identification was made through the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (“ICE”) Criminal Alien Program (“CAP”). One of the goals of that program is to locate criminal aliens incarcerated in federal and state prisons, as well as in local jails, and prevent them from being released into society by having them federally prosecuted.

If convicted of the federal charge now levied against him, Armendariz-Sanchez faces a potential maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, followed by deportation. Any sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge. This case is the result of an investigation by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (“ICE ERO”). It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katharine T. Buzicky.

The second indictment alleges that on April 30, 2013, authorities found Victor Ernesto Hernandez-Navaez, age 31, illegally in the U.S. after he had been previously deported to Mexico. His deportation followed a 2001 Ramsey County conviction for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. On April 30, 2013, he was identified as an illegal alien via the CAP while in custody in the Pine County Jail on drug possession charges.

If convicted of the federal charge now filed against him, Hernandez-Navaez faces a potential maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, followed by deportation. Any sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge. This case is the result of an investigation by the ICE ERO. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin S. Ueland.

The third indictment alleges that on March 23, 2012, authorities found Carlos Alberto Umansor-Mejia, age 31, illegally in the U.S. after he had been previously deported to Honduras. His deportation followed a 2007 Benton County conviction for criminal sexual conduct in the third degree. On March 23, 2012, he was identified as an illegal alien via the CAP while in custody in the Sherburne County Jail on a state fugitive warrant.

If convicted of the federal charge now filed against him, Umansor-Mejia faces a potential maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, followed by deportation. Any sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge. This case is the result of an investigation by the ICE ERO. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan P. Petterson.

In some instances, federal prosecution will occur only after the individual is prosecuted for the recent underlying offense. The men in these three cases will remain in custody until their current federal cases are resolved. To learn more about the CAP, visit www.ice.gov/criminal-alien-program/

An indictment is a determination by a grand jury that there is probable cause to believe that offenses have been committed by a defendant. A defendant, of course, is presumed innocent until he or she pleads guilty or is proven guilty at trial.