A 55-year-old Mexican national has been sentenced to prison for attempting to re-enter the United States after being previously deported and convicted of a felony.
Jose Manuel Cheno, 55, was sentenced to 21 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance after pleading guilty to illegal re-entry of a removed alien previously convicted of a felony, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Sections 1326(a) and (b)(2). Cheno was also ordered to pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee and serve two years of supervised release.
Cheno was encountered in Jefferson Parish on March 31, 2023, after having been previously deported on January 27, 2018. This is not his first run-in with the law, as he was previously convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Marijuana in the District of Arizona on May 5, 2005.
The investigation into Cheno’s case was led by the United States Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Maestri of the General Crimes Unit handled the prosecution in this case.
This case is a prime example of the importance of immigration enforcement and the consequences of attempting to re-enter the United States after being deported.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana is committed to upholding the law and protecting the safety and security of our communities.
About the Defendant: Jose Manuel Cheno, 55, Mexican national
Exact Criminal Charges: Illegal re-entry of a removed alien previously convicted of a felony, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Sections 1326(a) and (b)(2)
City and State: New Orleans, Louisiana
Exact Date: March 31, 2023 (arrest date), September 25, 2024 (sentencing date), January 27, 2018 (deportation date)
Sentence or Outcome: 21 months in prison, two years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee
Dollar Amounts: $100 special assessment fee
Related Federal Cases
- Henry Ariel Canacas-Cortez, Illegal Re-entry of a Previously Deported Alien, Louisiana 2018 · Utah
- Juan Maldonado, Smuggling, Mississippi 2016 · New York
- Juan Carlos Lopez-Sosa, Reentry of Removed Alien, Louisiana 2025 · Alabama
- Jorge Luis Ochoa-Morales, Illegal Reentry, Louisiana 2023 · Texas
- Dery Joncarlos Zelaya-Zelaya, Illegal Reentry, Louisiana 2025 · Louisiana
Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Category: Immigration Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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