CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Mario Uribe-Rodriguez, a 33-year-old Mexican national, is headed back to federal prison after receiving an eight-month sentence for his fourth federal crime related to illegal immigration. Uribe-Rodriguez, residing in North Buena Vista, Iowa, pleaded guilty on May 8, 2025, to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after deportation following a felony conviction.
The case, presided over by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams, details a pattern of disregard for U.S. immigration laws. Uribe-Rodriguez admitted to illegally returning to the country after being deported in 2012, 2014, and 2018. His latest encounter with immigration officials occurred on April 9, 2025, in Dubuque, Iowa, where he was summoned to state court on a fifth-degree theft charge.
This isn’t Uribe-Rodriguez’s first rodeo with the federal justice system. In 2012, he was convicted of illegal entry in the Western District of Texas and served 10 days in jail before being deported. He resurfaced in 2014, convicted of eluding examination by immigration officers in the District of Arizona, resulting in a 75-day jail sentence and another deportation. The 2018 conviction in the Western District of Texas for illegal reentry, a felony offense, landed him 77 days in jail and yet another deportation order – all ignored.
Beyond the eight-month prison term, Uribe-Rodriguez will be subject to a three-year term of supervised release upon completion of his sentence. The federal system doesn’t offer parole, meaning he will serve the entirety of his sentence before being eligible for release and continued monitoring. This case highlights the relentless cycle of illegal reentry and the challenges faced by law enforcement.
The Department of Justice frames this prosecution as part of “Operation Take Back America,” a nationwide initiative designed to combat illegal immigration, dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and safeguard communities from violent crime. The operation leverages resources from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt prosecuted the case, with the investigation conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations. Court file information can be found at ecf.iand.uscourts.gov, case file number 25-cr-1017. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa on X @USAO_NDIA.
Related Federal Cases
- Geovany Rodriguez-Carrasco Gets 1 Year for Illegal Reentry · Iowa
- Repeat Offender Sajcap-Agreda Jailed for Illegal Re-Entry · Iowa
- Repeat Offender Castaneda-Garcia Admits Illegal Re-Entry · Colorado
- Repeat Offender Torres-Torres Gets Time-Served, Deported · Montana
- Honduran Repeated Illegal Entry: Matute-Banegas Sentenced to Federal Prison · Iowa
Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Organized CrimeOrganized CrimeOrganized CrimeOrganized Crime