Four-time illegal reentry felon sent to prison again

McALLEN, Texas – A 47-year-old Mexican national with a felony criminal history has been sentenced for illegally entering the country without authorization, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei.

Arnulfo Olivares-Cervantes pleaded guilty April 23.  

U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now ordered Olivares-Cervantes to serve 46 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence Olivares-Cervantes had been previously convicted of multiple felony convictions including attempted murder. He had also previously received a lengthy sentence for the same offense. Not a U.S. citizen, he is again expected to face removal proceedings following the sentence.

Olivares-Cervantes has felony convictions for narcotics trafficking and illegal reentry. He was first removed in 1999 and returned unlawfully three other times.

Authorities discovered him again June 15, 2023, in Edinburg.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia 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.