Mexican national sentenced to more than 6 years for illegally re-entering the US

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – A man from Mexico was sentenced on Tuesday to serve six years and four months in federal prison for illegally re-entering the United States after he had been deported following an aggravated felony conviction. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Sanford C. Coats for the Western District of Oklahoma.

Sergio Saavedra-Vega, 40, had been deported on May 14, 2003, after being convicted of possessing a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute, which is an aggravated felony. Following his deportation, Saavedra-Vega re-entered the United States and was sentenced on April 18, 2007 to serve two years for possession of a controlled dangerous substance (marijuana) in Oklahoma County. On Nov. 9, 2009, he was sentenced to four years in prison for omitting to provide for a child in Cleveland County. After completing his state sentences, he was released to ICE custody for federal prosecution.

A federal grand jury indicted Saavedra-Vega on March 16, 2011. He pleaded guilty on April 14. Following his federal prison term, Saavedra-Vega will be deported.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa Black, Western District of Oklahoma, prosecuted this case.