Jaime Cruz-Hernandez, a Mexican national, was convicted on Apr. 23 by a federal jury in Kansas City, Missouri, for illegally reentering the United States after being previously deported.
The conviction highlights ongoing efforts to address immigration violations and related crimes within the region. The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri supports community outreach and prevention programs aimed at addressing issues like violent crime and drug trafficking, according to the official website.
Evidence presented at trial showed that Cruz-Hernandez, age 37, was stopped by Grandview Police Department on Jan. 6 for driving while intoxicated. Authorities determined he was in the country illegally after having been deported to Mexico in 2019. Under federal law, Cruz-Hernandez faces up to two years in prison without parole; however, his final sentence will be decided by the court based on advisory guidelines and other statutory factors following a presentence investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rudolph R. Rhodes IV and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Viet Le after an investigation involving local police as well as Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigation agencies.
Following approximately ninety minutes of deliberation after a trial that began April 22 before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark, the jury returned its guilty verdict against Cruz-Hernandez.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative intended to address illegal immigration and criminal organizations as described by authorities in their announcement.
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri has offices in Kansas City, Jefferson City and Springfield according to its official website. The office handles federal prosecutions across sixty-six counties from Iowa’s border southward to Arkansas and collaborates with various law enforcement partners across its jurisdiction according to information available online.
