A Mexican national, Jose Alberto Santacruz-Benitez, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release for illegally reentering the United States after being removed five times. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey.
Court records show that Santacruz-Benitez was found in the U.S. on September 18, 2022, despite previous deportations on October 22, 2009; June 5, 2014; June 30, 2014; September 17, 2017; and November 30, 2021.
Before his first removal from the country, Santacruz-Benitez had been convicted of conspiracy to commit kidnapping. According to court documents, he and others kidnapped two men they believed had stolen drugs from them and tortured these victims for hours using beatings, mock drownings, and threats against their lives and families.
After being deported for the first time, Santacruz-Benitez returned multiple times to the United States. He was convicted twice in state court for felony possession of a controlled substance and twice in federal court for unlawful reentry under Title 8 U.S.C. §1326. This latest conviction marks his third violation of that statute.
Following his most recent removal from the U.S., Santacruz-Benitez unlawfully entered again for a fifth time. In September 2022, he came to the attention of immigration officials after Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers arrested him in connection with a shooting at a birthday party where five people were injured. For this incident, he was convicted in state court of attempted murder with use of a deadly weapon.
“First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Deputy Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Sherwin for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles made the announcement.”
The case was investigated by HSI Los Angeles and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.
Members of the public are encouraged to report crimes or suspicious activity by calling 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or using an online tip form.