BAY CITY, Mich. — A federal judge sentenced Wilmer Rodriguez, 39, a Honduran illegal immigrant, to 46 months in federal prison for unlawfully re-entering the United States after a state conviction for an aggravated felony, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan announced.
Rodriguez had been removed from the United States on four separate occasions before U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested him in Grayling, Michigan, just over a year after his most recent deportation. That deportation followed state convictions for first-degree criminal sexual conduct, felony kidnapping, and a felony firearm offense. He was also previously charged and convicted federally of unlawful reentry after deportation in 2014.
“This case underscores the importance of maintaining secure borders. The government has repeatedly removed this violent criminal from our country. The last time we sent him back after he was convicted of Michigan’s most severe sexual crime, kidnapping and felony firearm. He still returned and broke our laws. We do not want criminal aliens breaking in and hurting Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr.
Acting Chief Patrol Agent Javier Geronimo Jr. of the U.S. Border Patrol Detroit Sector said the case illustrated the stakes of repeat illegal entry. “This case underscores the critical importance of strong, collaborative border enforcement and the consequences of repeat illegal entry,” Geronimo said. “Our agents are committed to protecting Michigan communities from individuals who pose a threat to public safety.”
The U.S. Border Patrol Sault Sainte Marie Station investigated the case with significant assistance from the Michigan State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant Newman prosecuted the case. Unlawful re-entry after removal under 8 U.S.C. § 1326 carries penalties of up to 20 years in prison for individuals with aggravated felony records; Rodriguez’s 46-month sentence reflects his extensive criminal and immigration history across five removals and a prior federal conviction.