A Honduran citizen, Francisco Antonio Santos Martinez, has been sentenced to six months in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States after being deported. According to public court documents, Santos Martinez, 35, had previously been deported three times from the country.
In February 2024, law enforcement in Minnesota encountered Santos Martinez when he was arrested for disorderly conduct. He was subsequently released from state custody. Later in August 2024, Iowa law enforcement encountered him again, leading to his conviction for public intoxication in the Iowa District Court for Polk County.
Upon completing his prison sentence, Santos Martinez will be handed over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for removal proceedings. Additionally, he will serve a one-year term of supervised release.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa. The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations.