El Salvadoran Bartender Sentenced for Sexual Battery and Illegal Reentry

GRIMY TIMES – In a shocking turn of events, an El Salvadoran national has been sentenced to serve a combined total of twenty-nine years in federal prison for sexual battery and illegal reentry into the United States. Jose Rigoberto Mejia-Cubias, 34, was sentenced on August 6, 2025, to twenty-four months in federal prison for unlawful reentry by a removed alien, following his guilty plea to a sexual battery charge.

Mejia-Cubias, who worked as a bartender at a local Jackson restaurant, stands accused of sexually assaulting a patron. He was arrested on January 30, 2025, by the Madison Police Department and charged with the crime. Court documents reveal that Mejia-Cubias was in the United States illegally, having been previously removed to El Salvador on August 26, 2010.

The maximum sentence for unlawful reentry by a removed alien is twenty-four months, which Mejia-Cubias will serve consecutively to the twenty-five-year sentence he received in the Madison County Mississippi Circuit Court for his sexual battery conviction. This harsh penalty underscores the severity of both offenses and sends a clear message about the consequences of illegal immigration and violence.

Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, Patrick A. Lemon, along with Eric P. DeLaune, Special Agent-in-Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans, Louisiana; and Brian Acuna, Acting Field Office Director of ICE/ERO in New Orleans, made the announcement regarding Mejia-Cubias’ sentence.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kabah Ealy prosecuted the case against Mejia-Cubias. The conviction and subsequent sentence serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing battle against illegal immigration and the dangers posed by those who violate the law in this country.