Illegal Alien from Mexico Sentenced to Prison after Returning to the United States Following Two Deportations

A Mexican man who had previously been deported two times was sentenced on December 12, 2017, to 18 months in federal prison.

Ramiro Abarca-Martinez, age 29, a native and citizen of Mexico illegally residing in Tama County, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 14, 2017, guilty plea to illegal reentry of a removed alien after a felony conviction.

Abarca-Martinez admitted he illegally reentered the United States without permission in 2014 after having been deported from the United States in November 2009 and in November 2012.  Abarca-Martinez was first deported in 2009 after being convicted in Idaho of felony possession of cocaine.  On August 3, 2017, Abarca-Martinez was convicted in Iowa District Court for Tama County of the felony offense of burglary in the third degree.

Abarca-Martinez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade.  Abarca-Martinez was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment.  A special assessment of $100 was imposed.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Abarca-Martinez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations. 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is 17-CR-58.

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