Repeat Offender Castaneda-Garcia Admits Illegal Re-Entry

LYNCHBURG, VA – Adolfo Castaneda-Garcia, 45, a Mexican citizen with a history of flouting U.S. immigration laws, admitted guilt today to a federal charge of illegally re-entering the country. The plea comes after Castaneda-Garcia was apprehended again, despite being removed from the United States on four separate occasions.

Acting United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle announced that Castaneda-Garcia pled guilty in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia to one count of illegally reentering the United States without obtaining express consent of the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reapply for admission. The case highlights a persistent pattern of disregard for federal law and the challenges facing border security.

Assistant United States Attorney Charlene R. Day laid out the damning history at the guilty plea hearing. The trouble began in February 1996 when Immigration officials discovered Castaneda-Garcia serving time in a Colorado state prison for possession of a controlled substance. He was sentenced to four years and subsequently deported to Mexico. But that wasn’t the end of it. Over the next decade, Castaneda-Garcia was repeatedly arrested, incarcerated, and removed from the United States – at least four times – with encounters recorded by Border Patrol officers in Arizona, California, and Texas. Each deportation proved temporary, as he continually slipped back across the border.

The latest chapter unfolded on June 17, 2016, when the Rockbridge Regional Jail in Lexington, Virginia, alerted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. Castaneda-Garcia had been arrested in Buena Vista on fresh state drug charges. The jail’s diligence triggered the federal investigation that culminated in today’s guilty plea. It’s a familiar story: local law enforcement apprehends an individual, ICE is notified, and the cycle of deportation and re-entry continues – until now.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, ICE- Enforcement and Removal Services, spearheaded the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Charlene R. Day skillfully prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. Sentencing for Castaneda-Garcia is pending, but federal guidelines suggest a significant term, given his extensive criminal history and repeated violations of immigration law. This case serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle to enforce immigration laws and the consequences for those who repeatedly disregard them.

Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and provide updates on sentencing and any further developments. The question remains: will this finally be a lasting solution, or will Castaneda-Garcia once again attempt to circumvent the law and return to U.S. soil?