MADISON, WIS. – A Mexican citizen was sentenced to a year in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States. Eli Torres-Banos, 36, pleaded guilty to the charge in March 2024 and was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson on March 15, 2024.
The crime occurred when Torres-Banos illegally reentered the United States, violating a prior court order to not reenter the country. Torres-Banos was previously convicted in the Western District of Wisconsin in 2009 of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
On June 7, 2023, Torres-Banos was arrested for a misdemeanor traffic offense in Jefferson County, Wisconsin. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement became aware of Torres-Banos’s illegal presence in the country following a fingerprint match during the booking process.
On December 6, 2023, Torres-Banos was arrested in Jefferson County following his indictment in this case. During the arrest, law enforcement found 8.5 kilograms of cocaine in a vehicle associated with Torres-Banos. He was indicted for the cocaine found during the December 6th arrest and that case is scheduled for trial on September 23, 2024. Torres-Banos is presumed innocent of the cocaine charge unless proven guilty.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson said that Torres-Banos’s prior federal conviction was an aggravating factor in determining a sentence.
The charge against Torres-Banos was the result of an investigation conducted by 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 this case.
Torres-Banos is a citizen of Mexico and was removed from the United States to Mexico following the completion of a one-year federal prison sentence in 2009.
Defendant/respondent name: Eli Torres-Banos
Criminal charges: Illegally Reentering the United States
City and state: Madison, Wisconsin
Exact date with month/day/year: March 15, 2024 (sentencing), June 7, 2023 (arrest), December 6, 2023 (arrest)
Sentence or outcome: 1 year in federal prison
Amounts: N/A
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Key Facts
- State: Wisconsin
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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