JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Mexican National illegally residing in Sedalia, Mo., was sentenced in federal court today for unlawful reentry after deportation.
Jesus Mendoza Cortes, 35, was sentenced by United States District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 14 months in federal prison without parole followed by one year of supervised release.
On Feb. 20, 2025, Mendoza Cortes pleaded guilty to unlawfully re-entering the United States after previously being removed. Mendoza Cortes was previously deported from the United States and had unlawfully re-entered the United States without obtaining the consent of the Attorney General and/or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reapply for admission into the United States. Under federal law it is illegal for an alien to knowingly re-enter the United States without permission after being removed.
According to government filings, Mendoza Cortes had previously been removed from the country on eleven different occasions dating back to 2006. He unlawfully returned sometime in 2018 and was found in the Western District of Missouri after being arrested on June 1, 2024 by the Pettis County Sheriff’s Office for unlawful use of a weapon, assault in the second degree and armed criminal action. He was subsequently charged in Pettis County, Missouri for those acts and the charges remain pending.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cecily L. Hicks. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
The following investigation is a part of Operation Take America Back. This operation seeks to “repel” the invasion of illegal immigration in the United States and protect communities from the perpetration of organized crime. It streamlines efforts from the Department’s Organized Crime Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood. (PSN)
