A Mexican national, Santos Esparza-Torres, has been sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally reentering the United States. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge James C. Mahan.
Esparza-Torres had been deported from the U.S. on five previous occasions: October 29, 2005; September 18, 2008; September 24, 2019; January 17, 2020; and April 16, 2020. In 2024, while serving a state sentence for conspiracy to violate the uniform controlled substances act, he came into ICE custody. He will be eligible for parole on his state drug conviction in March of 2026 before serving his federal sentence.
He pleaded guilty to one count of being a deported alien found in the United States. This marks his second conviction for this crime after a prior conviction in the Southern District of California in 2020.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Field Office Director Jason Knight.
The case was investigated by ICE’s Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.
The public is encouraged to report crimes and suspicious activities through the hotline or online tip form provided by authorities.
