Margarito Ruiz-Aguillon Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry After Drug Felony

Margarito Ruiz-Aguillon, 41, of Mexico, pleaded guilty to unlawful reentry by an alien removed after conviction of a felony, marking the latest chapter in a long-standing pattern of border violations and criminal activity. The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Jason E. Schneider, Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector, cementing federal charges in Gulfport, Mississippi.

Court documents reveal Ruiz-Aguillon was arrested on July 15, 2021, during a routine vehicle stop on Interstate 10 in Harrison County. A U.S. Border Patrol agent identified him as a passenger and quickly determined he was illegally present in the United States. He was transported to the Gulfport Border Patrol Station, where officials confirmed his identity and immigration history through official records.

Records show Ruiz-Aguillon was first removed from the U.S. in 2001. Despite that, he repeatedly reentered the country illegally. In Virginia, he was convicted of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute—a felony that underscored the seriousness of his criminal conduct. After serving time, he was deported again, only to slip back across the border multiple times.

Since 2001, Ruiz-Aguillon has been removed from the United States and returned to Mexico on five separate occasions—in 2006, 2008, 2013, 2019, and 2020. Each removal failed to deter his unlawful returns, painting a picture of a man who has flouted federal immigration law with impunity for over two decades.

Now, Ruiz-Aguillon is scheduled for sentencing on February 15, 2022. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If sentenced to incarceration, he will be handed over to Homeland Security officials upon release for deportation proceedings—yet another round in a cycle that federal authorities are determined to break.

The U.S. Border Patrol led the investigation, underscoring the agency’s intensified focus on repeat immigration offenders with criminal records. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris is prosecuting the case, aiming to send a clear message: repeated illegal entry after a felony conviction carries steep consequences.