Undocumented Mexican National Sentenced to Prison for Drug Trafficking and Illegal Reentry
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Armando Reyes-Ascension, 43, a Mexican national living in the United States illegally, has been sentenced to 58 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to immigration and drug trafficking crimes. Reyes-Ascension’s brazen return to the U.S. following three previous removals and criminal convictions for illegal reentry has landed him behind bars once more.
In just over three months, Reyes-Ascension was caught with over 9,000 fentanyl pills, a loaded firearm, multiple dangerous weapons, and more than $80,000 in cash. His latest offense adds to his growing rap sheet that includes seizures of drugs and cash on previous occasions.
Senior U.S. District Court Judge Clark Waddoups also sentenced Reyes-Ascension to three years’ supervised release and ordered him to forfeit over $88,000 USD, a Smith and Wesson .380 caliber pistol, associated ammunition, nine knives and daggers, and nine collectors’ coins.
Court documents revealed that on May 17, 2024, Salt Lake City Police Department officers seized 7,000 fentanyl pills and $32,000 in cash from Reyes-Ascension’s apartment. He was removed to Mexico by immigration officials on June 11, 2024, only to re-enter the United States illegally on August 7, 2024, where he was found at Salt Lake County Metro jail after being arrested for drug crimes.
Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah emphasized that Reyes-Ascension’s repeated criminal conduct is a disregard for American laws and a threat to public safety. The ATF and FBI also vowed to pursue individuals who combine drug trafficking with firearms offenses, highlighting the imminent danger posed by such combinations.
The investigation was a joint effort by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Salt Lake City Police Department, and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office. Assistant United States Attorney Bryan N. Reeves prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), aimed at reducing violent crime and making neighborhoods safer.
RELATED: Reyes-Ascension Sentenced for Fentanyl and Illegal Reentry
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Key Facts
- State: Utah
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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