Repeat Offender Segovia Jailed for Fifth Illegal Return

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Manuel De Jesus Segovia, a 48-year-old citizen of El Salvador, is facing the consequences of repeatedly flouting U.S. immigration law. Segovia was sentenced today to 98 days in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after deportation – his fifth time doing so.

The case, prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt, details a pattern of disregard for U.S. law. Segovia first slipped into the country in October 2004, only to be caught by border officials. Released on recognizance, he immediately vanished, evading Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) supervision until March 2007. He was deported in June of that year, but the message clearly didn’t stick.

In March 2014, Segovia was again deported after another illegal entry. The revolving door continued in June 2022, when he was twice apprehended at the border on consecutive days, each time being returned to Mexico. Despite these repeated removals, Segovia again managed to infiltrate U.S. territory. Immigration officials finally caught up with him on March 13, 2024, near his residence in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Chief Judge C.J. Williams of the United States District Court handed down the 98-day sentence, along with a one-year term of supervised release following his imprisonment. Federal sentences don’t offer parole; Segovia will serve his time fully. Currently, he’s in the custody of the U.S. Marshals, awaiting transfer back into the hands of ICE for final deportation proceedings.

This isn’t simply a case of seeking a better life; it’s a brazen disregard for the legal process,” a source within DHS told Grimy Times. “Segovia has been given multiple chances, and has consistently chosen to ignore the law. This sentence, while relatively short, sends a message that repeated violations will be met with consequences.”

The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations. Court file information can be found at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl (case file number 24-CR-23). Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa on Twitter: @USAO_NDIA.