United States v. Ruelas-Mendez

COLLOTON, Circuit Judge.

Ismael Ruelas-Mendez pled guilty to illegal re-entry to the United States after a previous deportation, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a). The district court 2 sentenced him to 46 months’ imprisonment, at the bottom of the advisory guideline range. We affirm.

On May 14, 2007, Ruelas-Mendez was arrested for possession of cocaine. An investigation revealed that he was in the United States unlawfully, and that he had been deported from the country twice before. The first removal occurred in December 1992, following convictions in Oregon state court for cocaine trafficking…