Illegal alien sent to prison for second illegal reentry conviction

HOUSTON – A 28-year-old Mexican national has been ordered to federal prison for illegally entering the country again. 

Javier Alejandro Gallegos-Rangel pleaded guilty July 14.

U.S. District Judge Nicholas J. Ganjei ordered him to serve 63 months in federal prison. As an illegal alien, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.

Gallegos-Rangel has a prior federal conviction for illegal reentry as well as convictions for evading arrest or detention in a vehicle, burglary of a vehicle, and assault of a family member. He was previously convicted of illegal reentry in February 2019. 

Authorities have removed Gallegos-Rangel from the United States three times: July 2016, December 2019, and May 2025. He illegally returned to the United States following those removals. 

On Dec. 16, 2025, law enforcement again discovered Gallegos-Rangel in Houston without authorization to be in the United States. 

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

Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ekua Assabill 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.