Mexican National Guilty of Illegal Re-entry

According to court documents, RUIZ-AGUILAR was previously removed from the United States on March 13, 2010 and May 17, 2017.  He was later found in the Eastern District of Louisiana on February 1, 2024 and had not received permission from the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reenter. United States District Court Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown set sentencing for June 5, 2025.

RUIZ-AGUILAR faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two (2) years, a fine of up to $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Tangipahoa Sheriff’s Office, in investigating this matter.  Assistant United States Attorney Jon Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.

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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).