A 45-year-old Salvadoran citizen, who was previously deported from the US after an aggravated felony conviction, has been sentenced to ten months in prison for illegally reentering the United States.
Jose Guillermo Castillo Garcia was deported from the US for reckless driving and incidents related to drunk driving, and had served a prison sentence for the crimes. However, he illegally returned to the country. "After serving a prison sentence, he was removed from the United States, only to illegally return," G. Zachary Terwilliger, US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia said.
Multiple Felonies and Deportation
According to court records, Castillo Garcia had previously entered the US illegally. He was convicted five times for DWIs (Driving under the influence) and multiple felonies. One of this comprised of an 'aggravated felony' as defined by federal law. Castillo Garcia served a prison sentence and was subsequently deported in 2007.
"Castillo Garcia has consistently demonstrated a complete lack of regard for the safety of others by repeatedly—at least five times—taking to the roads drunk, and has shown a blatant disregard for America's state and federal laws over the course of two decades," stressed Terwilliger.
Returning To the US Illegally
However, in spite of being deported, and banned from entering the US, Castillo Garcia covertly entered the country again. In 2018, he was convicted of a sixth DWI. He had failed to appear in court in Fairfax County during the hearing, which led to the conviction in his absence.
Condemning Castillo Garcia's actions, Lyle Boelens, Acting Director of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington Field Office, said, "Castillo Garcia repeatedly flouted the law, as evidenced by his multiple reckless and drunk driving convictions—each instance putting the community at risk—and by his choice to reenter the country after being ordered removed. "
