Convicted drug trafficker receives 76-month sentence for illegally entering U.S. for third time

Editor's Note:
This matter occurred on date indicated, but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.   

HOUSTON – A 41-year-old Mexican national who illegally resided in Houston has been ordered to federal prison for illegally reentering the country again without authorization, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Eduardo Ramiro Gonzalez-Leal pleaded guilty May 28.

U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks has now ordered Gonzalez-Leal to serve 76 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is again expected to be removed following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard about Gonzalez-Leal’s criminal and immigration history and noted the obligation to protect the community from his unlawful conduct.

Gonzalez-Leal has multiple felony convictions including conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, felon in possession of a firearm and driving under the influence.

He was removed in November 2015 and October 2021 and returned each time. Authorities discovered him again Nov. 27, 2023, in Houston.

He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Immigration Customs Enforcement – Enforcement Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Law prosecuted the case.

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 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.