Seventeen defendants who allegedly re-entered the United States after being previously deported are now facing federal charges, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced on Friday.
Several of the defendants have prior felony convictions, including one for assault with bodily injury, according to law enforcement. One defendant is suspected of murder, while another was arrested on suspicion of committing assault with intent to rape.
Under federal law, individuals who have been previously removed from the U.S. but are found in the country again can face up to two years in federal prison. Those with prior felony convictions face a maximum sentence of 10 years, while defendants removed after an aggravated felony conviction could receive up to 20 years behind bars.
Among the defendants is 29-year-old Marvin Campos Cerna, a citizen of El Salvador, who was arrested in West Hollywood on March 7 for allegedly committing assault with intent to rape, false imprisonment, sodomy, and kidnapping. He had previously been convicted in 2014 for assault with bodily injury, serving six years in California state prison before being deported. Campos is now charged with illegal re-entry and being found in the U.S. after removal.
ICE and Homeland Security Investigations are leading the investigations, with criminal cases being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys in the Domestic Security and Immigration Crimes Section and the General Crimes Section.
[publish_date
