Mexican Citizen Busted for Sneaking Back In with 8.5 Kilo Cocaine Haul

MADISON, WI – A Mexican citizen with a history of narcotics trafficking has been sentenced to a year in federal prison for sneaking back into the United States, authorities said.

Eli Torres-Banos, 36, was handed down the sentence by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson on April 23, 2024, after pleading guilty to the charge on March 15, 2024.

This isn’t Torres-Banos’s first run-in with U.S. law. In 2009, he was convicted in the same district of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Following a one-year federal prison sentence, Torres-Banos was removed to Mexico and ordered not to reenter the United States.

But like a bad penny, Torres-Banos turned up again in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, on June 7, 2023, for a misdemeanor traffic offense. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement caught wind of his presence after a fingerprint match during the booking process.

Torres-Banos wasn’t done causing trouble, however. On December 6, 2023, he was arrested in Jefferson County once more, this time following an indictment in the case. During the arrest, law enforcement discovered 8.5 kilograms of cocaine in a vehicle linked to Torres-Banos.

The cocaine was a separate charge from the one Torres-Banos pleaded guilty to, which is set to go to trial on September 23, 2024. Torres-Banos is presumed innocent of the new charge until proven guilty.

At sentencing, Judge Peterson emphasized that Torres-Banos’s prior conviction was a significant factor in determining his sentence.

The investigation that led to Torres-Banos’s sentencing was a joint effort between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven P. Anderson and Steven C. Ayala prosecuted the case.