A Fayette County resident, Pedro Marquez, has been charged with illegally reentering the United States after a previous conviction for an aggravated felony. Federal agents arrested Marquez, 34, in Bloomingburg, Ohio.
Court documents reveal that Marquez, originally from Mexico, was first removed from the U.S. in 2009. In 2011, he was convicted of participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy and illegal reentry into the country. The conviction stemmed from his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. Following his prison sentence, Marquez was deported again in 2016.
Reentering the U.S. illegally after an aggravated felony conviction carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment and subsequent deportation.
The arrest was announced by Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, alongside Angie M. Salazar, Special Agent in Charge at Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit. Assistant United States Attorney David J. Twombly is handling the case for the prosecution.
It is important to note that a criminal complaint contains allegations only; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.