Illegal Alien Sentenced for Unlawful Reentry By an Alien After Removal

Gulfport, Miss. – Benjamin Sanchez-Perez, 28, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr., to time served and one year of supervised release for unlawful reentry by an alien after removal, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Jere T. Miles, Special Agent in Charge of Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans, and Gregory Bovino, Chief Patrol Agent of the Border Patrol, New Orleans Sector.   

On September 12, 2019, a Harrison County Sheriff’s Department Interdiction Unit Agent stopped a Sport Utility Vehicle on Interstate 10 eastbound. Indicators of illegal alien smuggling were detected and a Border Patrol Agent arrived to assist.  Agents made contact with the driver of the vehicle who did not have a valid driver’s license.  Among the passengers were three men, including Sanchez-Perez, who were determined to be illegal aliens to the United States who had returned after being formally removed from the U.S.  All vehicle occupants were transported to the Border Patrol Station in Gulfport, for further processing and investigation.

Sanchez-Perez was determined to have entered the United States through Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, about four days before his arrest in Mississippi.  Further investigation revealed that Sanchez-Perez had been previously removed from the United States by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in March, 2019.  At the time of his removal, Sanchez-Perez was prohibited from entering, attempting to enter, being in the United States, or applying for admission to the United States, for at least five years. 

Sanchez-Perez pled guilty before Judge Guirola on October 28, 2019.

U.S. Attorney Hurst praised the cooperation exhibited by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Border Patrol, and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for the case.