Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson has announced the sentencing of Santiago Puente-Garcia, a 26-year-old native of Mexico, for illegal reentry into the United States. The sentencing took place on April 30, 2025, following Puente-Garcia's guilty plea to the charge of illegal reentry of a removed alien, which violates Title 18, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
United States District Judge Lance M. Africk sentenced Puente-Garcia to time served in prison and imposed one year of supervised release along with a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Court records reveal that Puente-Garcia was previously deported from the United States on February 4, 2022. He was discovered again in the Eastern District of Louisiana on October 29, 2024.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson commended the efforts of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Enforcement and Removal Operations for their role in investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorney Jon Maestri from the General Crimes Unit is responsible for prosecuting the case.