Mexican Citizen Pleads Guilty to Immigration Charge

A 45-year-old Mexican citizen, Adolfo Castaneda-Garcia, has pled guilty to a federal immigration charge in the Western District of Virginia. Castaneda-Garcia, a native of Mexico, was first encountered by Immigration officials at or near Denver, Colorado in February 1996 while serving a state prison sentence for possession of a controlled substance.

He was sentenced to four years in prison for this conviction and later removed to Mexico. Over the next decade, Castaneda-Garcia was arrested, incarcerated, removed from the United States and encountered by Border Patrol officers at least four times in Arizona, California and Texas.

On June 17, 2016, officials with the Rockbridge Regional Jail in Lexington, Va., contacted officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and informed them that Castaneda-Garcia was arrested in Buena-Vista on state drug charges. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, ICE- Enforcement and Removal Services conducted the investigation of the case.

Assistant United States Attorney Charlene R. Day prosecuted the case for the United States. Castaneda-Garcia pled guilty to one count of illegally reentering the United States without obtaining express consent of the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reapply for admission.

According to evidence presented at today’s guilty plea hearing, Castaneda-Garcia was arrested multiple times and removed from the United States. His most recent arrest led to the current immigration charge.

Castaneda-Garcia’s guilty plea is a significant blow to those who attempt to circumvent the law and re-enter the country without proper authorization. It highlights the importance of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s work in protecting the nation’s borders and upholding the law.

The case is a reminder that those who engage in such activities will be held accountable for their actions. Assistant United States Attorney Charlene R. Day commended the work of ICE- Enforcement and Removal Services in conducting the investigation and bringing the case to fruition.