Bertoldo Labra-Martinez Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry

Bertoldo Labra-Martinez, 33, of Mexico, is back behind bars after pleading guilty to illegally reentering the United States — not once, but twice after prior deportations. The conviction, handed down Thursday in Alexandria, Louisiana, marks the latest chapter in a criminal pattern that federal authorities say shows blatant disregard for U.S. immigration law.

Labra-Martinez entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on a single count of illegal reentry of a removed alien. According to court records, he was discovered inside the Calcasieu Parish Correctional Center on November 3, 2016, already serving time for prior offenses. Immigration checks revealed he had been formally removed from the U.S. in January 2008 and again in March 2015 — both times followed by unauthorized returns.

The defendant’s criminal footprint in the U.S. runs deep. On October 23, 2014, Labra-Martinez was convicted in the U.S. District Court, Lake Charles Division, for possession with intent to distribute marijuana. That drug conviction now serves as the aggravating factor that could send him to prison for up to 20 years for the reentry charge. He also faces a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

Prosecutors made no effort to downplay the severity of the offense. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy, who is handling the case, emphasized that illegal reentry after deportation — especially following a drug trafficking conviction — is treated as a serious federal felony. “This isn’t a paperwork error,” said a DOJ source familiar with the case. “This is a deliberate breach of federal law by someone with a known criminal history.”

The investigation was conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, whose agents routinely coordinate with local jails to flag undocumented individuals with prior removals. Labra-Martinez’s capture highlights the ongoing federal push to identify and prosecute repeat immigration offenders, particularly those with ties to drug crimes.

Sentencing is scheduled for March 12, 2017. If the maximum penalty is imposed, Labra-Martinez could spend two decades in federal prison — a steep price for crossing the border one time too many.