Two Mexican nationals, Juan Carlos Verdin-Covarrubias and Uriel Lira-Cabrera, appeared in court in Las Vegas on Thursday to face charges of illegal reentry into the United States after being previously deported. Both individuals are charged with one count of being a deported alien found in the United States. Their preliminary hearings are set for April 3, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Nancy J. Koppe.
According to the criminal complaints and court statements, both Verdin-Covarrubias and Lira-Cabrera are citizens of Mexico who were previously removed from the United States but returned illegally. On March 12, 2025, Verdin-Covarrubias was handed over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by the Nevada Department of Corrections following an ICE detainer. He had been deported on or about April 21, 2006, after a conviction for Unlawful Sale of a Controlled Substance in Washoe County, Nevada. Upon his return to the U.S., he was again convicted for drug-related offenses in Clark County, Nevada, receiving a sentence of 36 to 96 months on February 16, 2022.
Lira-Cabrera was arrested by ICE in Las Vegas on March 5, 2025. He had been deported six times between February 5, 2007, and November 27, 2021. Before his first deportation, he was convicted of Assault with Deadly Weapon by Means Likely to Produce Great Bodily Injury in Los Angeles County, California. Additionally, he has two prior felony convictions for illegal reentry into the United States—one in Arizona and another in Nevada.
Both defendants face up to 20 years in prison if convicted, along with a three-year term of supervised release and financial penalties including a $250,000 fine and a $100 special assessment.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Field Office Director Michael Bernacke. The case is being investigated by ICE's Salt Lake City office and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.
The public is encouraged to report crimes or suspicious activities via phone at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or through an online tip form.
It should be noted that a complaint is merely an accusation; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.