News and Press Releases
Prosecutions continue in illegal entry cases involving those with prior criminal records
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 21, 2012
MINNEAPOLIS – In the District of Minnesota, separate charges have been filed against
three foreign nationals who entered the United States illegally after being deported as criminals.
Earlier today in federal court, three individuals were charged with one count of illegal re-entry
after deportation.
Jose Jimenez-Betancourt, age 26, was charged in the first case. His indictment alleges
that on February 22, 2012, he was found in the U.S. illegally after having been previously
deported to Mexico. Jimenez-Betancourt’s deportation followed a 2010 conviction in the
Western District of Wisconsin for bank fraud. He was recently arrested for obstructing the legal
process. He was in the Freeborn County Jail when he was identified as an illegal alien with a
criminal record. That identification was made though the U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement’s (“ICE”) Criminal Alien Program (“CAP”). The goal 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 for illegally reentering
the United States. In some instances, federal prosecution will occur only after the
individual is prosecuted for the recent underlying offense.
If convicted of the federal charge now levied against him, Jimenez-Betancourt faces a
potential maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, followed by deportation. All sentences 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”) and the Minnesota State Patrol.
In the second case, Juan Maciel-Hernandez, age 49, was charged with illegally entering
the U.S. following deportation. His indictment alleges that on December 5, 2011, he was found
in the U.S. after having been previously deported to Mexico, in 2006, following a California
conviction for burglary. The current federal indictment resulted from his December 5 arrest for
third-degree possession of a controlled substance. He was transferred to ICE custody on March
8, 2012.
If convicted of the federal charge now levied against him, Maciel-Hernandez faces a
potential maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, followed by deportation. All sentences
will be determined by a federal district court judge. This case is the result of an investigation by
ICE ERO and the Prior Lake Police Department.
In the third case, Jose Salgado-Virgil, age 31, was indicted. His indictment alleges that
on February 23, 2012, he was found in the U.S. illegally after having been previously deported
to Honduras. Salgado-Virgil’s deportation followed a 2005 Minnesota conviction for thirddegree
assault. The current federal indictment resulted from his February 23 arrest for no
driver’s license. He was turned over to ICE on February 24, 2012.
If convicted of the federal charge now levied against him, Salgado-Virgil faces a
potential maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, followed by deportation. All sentences
will be determined by a federal district court judge. This case is the result of an investigation by
ICE ERO and the Marshall, Minnesota Police Department.
All three cases are being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin P.
Johnson. All three men 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.
