Repeat Offender Segovia Jailed for Illegal Re-Entry

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Manuel De Jesus Segovia, a 48-year-old citizen of El Salvador, is headed back behind bars after being sentenced for his relentless attempts to evade U.S. immigration law. Segovia received a 98-day federal prison sentence after admitting to illegally re-entering the country after being deported a staggering four times.

The case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt, details a pattern of disregard for U.S. law. Segovia initially slipped into the United States in October 2004, only to be caught by border officials. Released on his own recognizance, he promptly disappeared, evading Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) supervision. He wasn’t located until March 2007, leading to his first deportation in June of that same year.

But Segovia wasn’t deterred. He illegally returned again, resulting in a second deportation in March 2014. The brazenness continued in June 2022, when he was caught twice attempting to cross the border in consecutive days, each time being turned back to Mexico. Immigration officials finally caught up with Segovia again on March 13, 2024, near his residence in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, triggering his latest arrest.

Chief U.S. District Judge C.J. Williams handed down the 98-day sentence in Cedar Rapids. The sentence doesn’t include parole – a common feature of the federal system. Following his prison term, Segovia will face a one-year term of supervised release, though it remains to be seen if that will finally deter him. He is currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshals, awaiting transfer back into the hands of ICE for final deportation proceedings.

The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations. This case highlights the ongoing challenges faced by immigration enforcement agencies in dealing with repeat offenders who repeatedly test the limits of the system. Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the effectiveness of deportation enforcement.

Court file information can be found at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 24-CR-23. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa on Twitter: @USAO_NDIA.

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