Updated 9:31 AM; Posted 9:19 AM
By Warren Kulo

GULFPORT, Mississippi -- An illegal alien from Mexico previously deported after being convicted on federal drug charges pleaded guilty Thursday to illegally re-entering the country, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Eugenio Delgado-Rivera, 48, was driving a rented Nissan Altima on Dec. 28 when he was stopped for speeding by a member of the South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team on Interstate 10 near Gautier.

Delgado-Rivera could not produce a driver's license and instead provided a Mexican identification card with a different name. A U.S. Border Patrol agent arrived on the scene and Delgado-Rivera admitted he was in the U.S. illegally.

A record check revealed Delgado-Rivera had been physically removed from the U.S. in October 2000, but returned to the U.S. and in 2007 was convicted in federal court in North Carolina of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine.

Delgado-Rivera's conviction qualified as an aggravated felony and he served time in U.S. federal prison before again being removed from the U.S. in April 2009. Additional record checks showed Delgado-Rivera had used more than 10 aliases during his time in the U.S.

Delgado-Rivera will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden on June 5. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

"Those who have violated our immigration laws and continue to do so with impunity will be met by this office with swift prosecution and punishment," said U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst. "If drug dealers like this defendant continue to cross our borders illegally, we will have a jail cell waiting for them when they arrive.

"Such arrogant disregard for our laws will not be tolerated, as we will do all we can to protect our country and our people."

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Border Patrol, and the Gautier Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris is prosecuting the case.

http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi...sly_convi.html