U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that FRANCISCO MENDOZA-ZAVALA, age 41, a native of El Salvador, pled guilty today to a one-count Indictment for illegal entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to court documents, MENDOZA-ZAVALA was previously removed from the United States on September 6, 2012. MENDOZA-ZAVALA was later found in the Eastern District of Louisiana on March 30, 2016, and had not received permission from the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reenter.
If his prior conviction is proven at sentencing, MENDOZA-ZAVALA faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years, as well as a fine of $250,000. U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon set sentencing for July 7, 2016.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jon Maestri is in charge of the prosecution.