United States v. Medina-Almaguer

OPINION

SUTTON, Circuit Judge.

Paulo Sergio Medina-Almaguer appeals his 27-month sentence for illegal reentry after deportation. At stake is whether the district court properly characterized a 1989 state-court conviction as a “drug trafficking offense” under the sentencing guidelines.

I

On September 19, 2007, Medina-Alma-guer pleaded guilty to one count of illegal reentry following deportation. See 8 U.S.C. § 1326. In calculating his advisory guidelines range, the district court imposed a 16-level enhancement because Medina-Almaguer’s deportation arose from a “drug trafficking offense.” U.S.S.G.…