Convicted Felon Arrested by Border Patrol

Removal scheduled after a 6-year incarceration for Re-Entry

(Friday, January 27, 2012)

Tucson, Ariz. – A 44-year-old Mexican male from Nueva Italia, Michoacan, Mexico, was apprehended by Sonoita Station Border Patrol agents in March 2011, and was sentenced on January 18, 2012, to 77 months in prison.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted Jose Luis Zavala-Vasquez following his March apprehension for attempting to illegally re-enter the United States. During processing at the Sonoita Station, the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) revealed that Zavala-Vasquez was convicted in 2003 in Florida for assault with a deadly weapon and sentenced to a year in prison. Record checks also revealed he was removed from the U.S. through San Ysidro, Calif.

Following initial processing, the Border Patrol submitted the case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for re-entry of a felon. He will be formally removed from the U.S. following his 77-month incarceration and is now banned for life from all legalization processes.

All illegal immigrants apprehended by the Border Patrol undergo criminal history checks using IAFIS. This vital tool accesses criminal records throughout the United States, thereby enabling agents to quickly identify violent criminals and wanted persons.

Customs and Border Protection welcomes assistance from the community. Citizens can report suspicious activity and remain anonymous by calling the Border Patrol at (877) 872-7435 toll free.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Department of Homeland Security

Convicted Felon Arrested by Border Patrol - CBP.gov