Gun smuggler sent to prison for second illegal re-entry conviction

LAREDO, Texas – A 23-year-old Mexican man has been sentenced following another conviction for illegally re-entering the United States following an order of removal, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Jose Luis Arevalo Gonzalez pleaded guilty Jan. 4.

U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo has now ordered Arevalo to serve 23 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. Not a U.S. citizen, Arevalo is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard how Arevalo was a member of the Paisas gang and was previously convicted of trafficking firearms.

In that case, law enforcement discovered Arevalo was attempting to smuggle 11 semi-automatic rifles and 85 rifle magazines into Mexico.

Arevalo was released from prison Oct. 18, 2023, and was ordered removed the following week. A week after his removal, authorities encountered Arevalo near Laredo.

Arevalo will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Terence A. Check Jr. prosecuted the case.