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October 13, 2010

Mexican national sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for illegally re-entering the US

MADISON, Wis. - A criminal alien, who had been previously deported twice, was sentenced in federal court on Tuesday to 30 months in prison for illegally re-entering the United States after being deported. This sentence was announced by John W. Vaudreuil, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin. It resulted from an investigation conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Reyes Venegas-Cruz, 26, was sentenced Oct. 13 to 30 months in prison, without the possibility of parole, by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley, Western District of Wisconsin. Venegas-Cruz pleaded guilty Aug. 16 to illegally re-entering the United States after being deported.

Venegas-Cruz was deported in 2004 following his conviction for felony drug distribution in Texas. In 2007, Venegas-Cruz illegally returned to the United States and was deported a second time. Venegas-Cruz was encountered by law enforcement in Madison on May 2, which resulted in this prosecution.

Venegas-Cruz will be deported again to Mexico after he completes his 30-month prison sentence. Re-entering the United States after being formally deported is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O'Shea, Western District of Wisconsin, prosecuted the case.

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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 www.ICE.gov. To report suspicious activity, call 1-866-347-2423 or complete our tip form.