Marcos Gonzalez-Granillo, Illegal Re-entry by Removed Alien, Virginia 2023

NORFOLK, Va. – A Mexican citizen pleaded guilty today to illegally reentering the United States. Marcos Gonzalez-Granillo, 40, admitted to violating federal law by reentering the country after being previously removed.

According to court documents, Gonzalez-Granillo originally illegally entered the United States in 1997. In 2002, he was convicted in state court in North Carolina of attempted second-degree rape and first-degree burglary, an aggravated felony. He was removed from the country at taxpayer expense in 2007 after serving his state prison sentence.

Gonzalez-Granillo was next encountered by law enforcement authorities in Norfolk in 2019, when he was arrested for failure to register as a sex offender under Virginia law. Today, he pleaded guilty to illegal reentry by a removed alien, a charge that carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia G. Zachary Terwilliger stated, "The defendant’s history of violent crime and failure to register as a sex offender is a serious concern for public safety. His guilty plea is a significant step towards holding him accountable for his actions."

Lyle A. Boelens, Acting Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, added, "This case highlights the importance of enforcing immigration laws and ensuring that individuals who have committed serious crimes are held accountable."

Gonzalez-Granillo is scheduled to be sentenced on October 4. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel P. Shean and Elizabeth M. Yusi are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations are working together to ensure that individuals who have committed serious crimes are held accountable.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:19-cr-75.

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