Jose Edgardo Diaz-Ramos, Illegal Reentry, VA 2024

Jose Edgardo Diaz-Ramos, 36, a violent felon and native of Honduras, pleaded guilty today to illegally reentering the United States for the fifth time, marking a repeat breach of federal immigration law and reigniting scrutiny over enforcement gaps. The plea was entered in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, before Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis.

Court documents reveal Diaz-Ramos was previously convicted in California of the willful infliction of corporal injury on a spouse — a violent felony — and served six years in prison. Following his release, he was deported at taxpayer expense in 2014, the fourth time he had been formally removed from the country. Despite these actions, he returned illegally yet again, triggering federal prosecution.

Diaz-Ramos now faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on July 26. While federal sentences often fall below the statutory maximum, the court will weigh the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, his criminal history, and prior removals in determining the final term. Prosecutors emphasized the repeated nature of the offense and the threat posed by felons repeatedly crossing borders undetected.

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO) in Washington, D.C., with assistance from local law enforcement partners. Acting Field Office Director Lyle A. Boelens stated, “This conviction underscores our commitment to identifying and removing individuals who pose a risk to public safety, especially those who defy repeated deportation orders.”

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced the plea, calling Diaz-Ramos a “career violator” of immigration and criminal law. “Each illegal reentry endangers communities and exploits the rule of law,” Terwilliger said. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan P. Geary is prosecuting the case.

Public court records, including the indictment and plea agreement, are accessible through the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or via PACER under Case No. 1:19-cr-126. A copy of the Department of Justice press release is posted on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website.