Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Mexican citizen pleaded guilty Monday to reentering the United States illegally after being arrested for trying to obtain a Louisiana Identification Card in Morgan City.
Ruben Angle Verdugo-Barajas, 35, of Mexico, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol Whitehurst to one count of illegal reentry of a removed alien. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote. According to the guilty plea, the defendant was arrested on April 24, 2017 after attempting to obtain a Louisiana Identification Card at the Morgan City Department of Motor Vehicles. Verdugo-Barajas presented the driver’s license, Social Security card and birth certificate of a Puerto Rican resident and claimed they were his. After questioning, he admitted his true identity. He was previously deported at Nogales, Ariz., on December 10, 2000.
Verdugo-Barajas faces two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set a December 8, 2017 sentencing date.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo is prosecuting the case.