C.B.P. News Release

Criminal Alien Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison

(Wednesday, April 04, 2012)

Tucson, Ariz. – A 42-year-old man from Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protection Casa Grande Station Border Patrol agents in November 2011 near Pisinemo, Ariz., was sentenced to 41 months of confinement on March 21.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted Rafael Aguilar-Gutierrez following his 2011 apprehension for attempting to illegally re-enter the United States. During processing at the Casa Grande Station, agents using the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) learned Aguilar-Gutierrez was convicted in Santa Cruz County in 1990 for aggravated robbery and attempted burglary.

Following the Border Patrol’s initial processing, the case was submitted to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for re-entry of a felon. Aguilar-Gutierrez will be formally removed from the U.S. following his 41-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, enabling agents to quickly identify violent criminals and wanted persons.

As part of a targeted enforcement strategy, the Tucson Sector places individuals into impact programs designed to influence their decision not to commit a subsequent illegal entry. One impact program involves individuals with prior criminal convictions being prosecuted in federal court.

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

Criminal Alien Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison - CBP.gov