Adan Zamudio-Escalante Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Adan Zamudio-Escalante, 39, a Mexican national also known as Victor Giron, stood before a federal judge today and admitted to a repeat federal crime: illegally reentering the United States after being deported twice. The plea was entered in the Southern District of West Virginia, marking the latest chapter in a long-standing pattern of border violations by a man now facing up to a decade behind bars.

Zamudio-Escalante admitted in court that he had previously been convicted of illegal reentry on two separate occasions. The first conviction came on April 1, 2005, in Texas. Following that sentence, he was deported to Mexico. Despite the legal consequences, he returned to the U.S. without authorization and was caught again, leading to a second conviction on January 6, 2010, this time in West Virginia. After serving that sentence, he was removed from the country once more—only to return illegally a third time.

On September 20, 2016, Department of Homeland Security agents located Zamudio-Escalante in Charleston, West Virginia. His presence on U.S. soil triggered federal charges for illegal reentry by a previously removed alien, a felony under U.S. immigration law. His criminal history—two prior convictions for the same offense—ratchets up the severity of the current charge, exposing him to a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.

Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by Homeland Security agents. The probe relied on immigration records, biometric data, and field surveillance to confirm Zamudio-Escalante’s identity and track his movements across borders. Authorities emphasized that repeat illegal reentries strain enforcement resources and pose potential public safety risks, especially when identities are concealed—such as when he used the alias Victor Giron.

The plea hearing took place before United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. Sentencing is scheduled for February 13, 2017. In addition to possible incarceration, Zamudio-Escalante will face renewed removal proceedings once his criminal case concludes. Federal prosecutors are expected to seek the maximum sentence, citing his repeated defiance of U.S. immigration law.

U.S. Attorney Carol Casto, overseeing the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia, reiterated the federal government’s commitment to prosecuting immigration crimes with serious consequences. “This is not a first-time offender,” Casto said in a brief statement. “This is a man who has been removed twice, convicted twice, and still chose to return illegally. The justice system will respond accordingly.”