Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Re-Entering the United States as a Felon

A man who illegally re-entered the United States from Mexico pled guilty today in federal court in Sioux City.

Julio Cesar Moreno-Anaya, age 47, who was living in Omaha, Nebraska, was convicted of one count of illegal re-entry as a felon.

At the plea hearing, Moreno admitted illegally re-entering the United States without permission, and having a previous felony theft conviction from 2016 in Hidalgo County, Texas.  On September 15, 2025, Moreno-Anaya was arrested in Britt, Iowa, for speeding and not having a valid driver’s license.  While in custody, officials determined he was a citizen of Mexico and had previously been deported from the United States to Mexico on eight previous occasions.  

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Moreno-Anaya remains in custody pending sentencing.  Moreno faces a possible sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.             

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.

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

The case file number is 25-CR-03047.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.