Mexican national pleads guilty to reentering the U.S.. illegally a sixth time

LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that a Mexican citizen pleaded guilty to reentering the United States illegally.

Jose Luis Gamez-Verdugo, 49, of Mexico, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol Whitehurst to one count of illegal reentry of a removed alien. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell. According to the guilty plea, Gamez-Verdugo was found on April 9, 2017 in Vermilion Parish. After further investigation, it was determined that he had been removed from the United States on five previous occasions. The most recent removal was on June 16, 2011 in Brownsville, Texas.

Gamez-Verdugo faces 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set a November 3, 2017 sentencing date.

United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Forrest Phillips is prosecuting the case.