VA. Illegal alien sentenced to 6 years for repeated illegal entry

I.C.E. News Release

March 9, 2012
Lynchburg, VA

Man sentenced to more than 6 years for repeated illegal entry

LYNCHBURG, Va. – A citizen of Mexico who had illegally reentered the United States on multiple prior occasions was sentenced Friday in federal court in Lynchburg on charges related to another illegal reentry.

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

Bernardo Israel Enciso-Mejia, 30, a native and citizen of Mexico living in Buena Vista, Va., was sentenced to 77 months in federal prison. He pleaded guilty in December 2011 to one count of illegal reentry into the United States by a previously deported alien. His most recent return followed a conviction for an aggravated felony.

Following his prison term, Enciso-Mejia will be removed to Mexico by ERO.

"This sentence should serve as a reminder that there are significant consequences for violating immigration law, especially for those with extensive criminal histories," said ERO Washington Field Office Director Enrique M. Lucero.

According to his guilty plea, Enciso-Mejia has previously been removed from the United States by ERO on four separate occasions, including once following an aggravated felony charge of aiding and abetting the possession of a firearm by an alien illegally in the United States.

He was most recently arrested in Buena Vista, Va. Aug. 16, 2011. At the time of his arrest, officers with ERO determined that Enciso-Mejia did not have the consent of the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reenter or to reapply for admission into the United States. ERO found no record of the defendant ever applying for permission to reenter the United States or other forms of relief since the time of his first removal in 2003.

"The Justice Department is committed to the strong, effective and humane enforcement of our immigration laws," said U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Heaphy, for the Western District of Virginia. "Mr. Enciso-Mejia has illegally reentered the United States on multiple occasions and for that he must be punished."

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Wright prosecuted the case for the United States.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security.

ICE is a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities. For more information, visit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. To report suspicious activity, call 1-866-347-2423 or complete our tip form.

U.S. Dept of Homeland Security

Man sentenced to more than 6 years for repeated illegal entry

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"This sentence should serve as a reminder that there are significant consequences for violating immigration law, especially for those with extensive criminal histories," said ERO Washington Field Office Director Enrique M. Lucero.

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This is ridiculous. Enrique M. Lucero is saying there are big consequences long after you have committed violent felonies against American citizens and been deported several times.

Why would any illegal alien criminal respect such a terrible line of defense that is so far behind the existing border and immigration laws of the US. There is no need for any illegal alien to respect Americans or American law enforcement. They can come here rape our system and citizens and they wont do any serious jail time until they have been caught, convicted, and deported several times first!

W