The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

June 16, 2007

Mexicans confess to illegal re-entry

By Joe Pinchot

MERCER COUNTY — Three Mexican nationals encountered in two traffic stops in Mercer County have pleaded guilty to immigration violations.

Arturo Monroy-Mendoza, 30, of Mexico, pleaded guilty Wednesday to a charge of reentry of a removed alien, said the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Pittsburgh.

Monroy-Martinez was the driver of a disabled vehicle that a state police trooper stopped to help April 13 at the 10 mile marker on Interstate 80, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

None of the six people present had legal immigration status, ICE said.

A fingerprint check showed that Monroy-Martinez, also known as Arturo Lozano-Mendoza, had been deported four times, the last time on Oct. 17, 2001, ICE said. Monroy-Martinez said he re-entered in 2002 near Douglas, Ariz., ICE said.

U.S. District Court Judge Donetta W. Ambrose, Pittsburgh, set sentencing for Aug. 30, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Monroy-Martinez is being held in Allegheny County Jail.

In the second stop, state police stopped an eastbound van for following a tractor-trailer too closely at 8:50 p.m. May 14 on I-80, ICE said. The van contained 16 people, none of whom had proof of legal immigration status, ICE said.

Passenger Ismael Ramirez-Florez, 38, of Mexico, had been deported Dec. 1, 2004, through El Centro, Calif., and returned to the U.S. without permission April 10 through the desert near San Ysidro, Calif., ICE said.

Ramirez-Florez pleaded guilty Wednesday to re-entry of an illegal alien, U.S. Attorney’s office said. Judge Ambrose sentenced him to the time he has already served in jail, and will be deported by ICE, prosecutors said.

Driver Antonio Rojas-Morales of Mexico also pleaded guilty Wednesday to re-entry of a removed alien, but court documents make no mention of a sentence being imposed or scheduled.

Rojas-Morales was deported Aug. 26, 2003, in Brownsville, Texas. He returned to the U.S. without permission Sept., 15, 2003, through the desert near Calexico, Calif., ICE said.

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