Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Mexican national pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally reentering the United States after he was previously deported.

Javier Luis Arias-Zamudio, aka Jose Luis Cordova, 34, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Judge David P. Rush, to a federal indictment charging him with one count of illegal reentry after a felony conviction.

According to court documents, on Oct. 23, 2025, deputies with the Christian County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by Arias-Zamudio and determined that he was unlawfully present in the United States.

Arias-Zamudio has previously been convicted of felony illegal reentry, in the District of Arizona, in 2021, and removed from the United States on April 21, 2021, through Nogales, Ariz. Additionally, Arias-Zamudio was previously removed from the United States on May 5, 2017, and August 29, 2019, at Laredo, Tx.

Under federal statutes, Arias-Zamudio is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Clark. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security – Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Sparta, Missouri Police Department, and the Christian County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office.

Operation Take Back America

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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.