A Mexican national has been sentenced to federal prison following a conviction for illegal reentry after deportation. U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler delivered the sentence on March 10, 2025.
Jose Jimenez, also known as Jose Lidio Chavez Flores, aged 42, received a two-month federal prison sentence and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Additionally, Jimenez is set to be removed from the United States.
Jimenez faced indictment in November 2024 for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and illegal reentry after deportation by a federal grand jury. He entered a guilty plea on February 11, 2025.
The charges stemmed from an incident on November 8, 2024, in Rapid City, South Dakota. Law enforcement attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Jimenez. Instead of complying, he led authorities on a pursuit. Upon stopping the vehicle, officers discovered a semi-automatic rifle in the rear seat. Jimenez is not a U.S. citizen and had previously been removed from the country twice without obtaining consent to reenter from either the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, which aims to address illegal immigration and combat cartels and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.
Following sentencing, Jimenez was remanded into custody under the supervision of the U.S. Marshals Service.