Mexican Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being Deported

A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced December 2, 2024, to six months in federal prison.

Arturo Reyna-Arajo, age 31, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Postville, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 12, 2024, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported. 

At the guilty plea, Reyna-Arajo admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government.  Reyna-Arajo was previously deported in February 2016.  On June 22, 2024, immigration officials learned Reyna-Arajo had illegally returned to the United States following Reyna-Arajo’s arrest in Allamakee County on state charges.  Reyna-Arajo was previously convicted in 2015 in the Clayton County, Iowa of falsifying public documents, a felony.  

Reyna-Arajo was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Reyna-Arajo was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Reyna-Arajo is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.

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 24-CR-1022.

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