A man who entered the United States illegally from Mexico has been sentenced to 20 months in prison. Rafael Martinez De Escobar-Hernandez, 39, from Mexico, was sentenced following a guilty plea on December 9, 2024, to one count of illegal re-entry.
During the plea hearing, Martinez De Escobar-Hernandez admitted that he illegally entered the United States from Guatemala after being deported in 2019 from the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas.
On February 2, 2024, Martinez De Escobar-Hernandez was arrested in Buena Vista County for a controlled substance violation and failing to affix a drug stamp for possession of distribution quantities of cocaine. On September 30, 2024, Iowa Probation contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Sioux City, Iowa, requesting information about Martinez De Escobar-Hernandez. He was recently placed on probation after being convicted of possession with intent to deliver cocaine. The ICE investigation revealed that Martinez De Escobar-Hernandez is a citizen of Mexico and had been removed from the United States three previous times.
The sentencing took place in Sioux City before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Martinez De Escobar-Hernandez received a 20-month imprisonment sentence and must serve a 3-year supervised release term post-imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.
Martinez De Escobar-Hernandez remains in the custody of the United States Marshal until he is transported to a federal prison.