A Mexican immigrant caught speeding in Johnson County in northern Wyoming faces up to two years in federal prison if convicted of reentering the United States illegally after the government deported him 11 times in nine years.
A Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper arrested Jorge Sanudo-Zavala last week for speeding through Johnson County and having no driver’s license, according to a criminal affidavit filed in the U.S. District Court for Wyoming.
Johnson County Jail deputies contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement, when Sanudo-Zavala claimed to be a citizen of Mexico.
Deportation Officer Rafel Tejera searched Sanudo-Zavala’s record and saw the government already had removed the man from the U.S. to Mexico multiple times.
The criminal charge of illegal reentry accuses Sanudo-Zavala of reentering the country after 11 removals from 2004 to the present, with the most recent deportation happening April 26, 2023.
Sanudo-Zavala’s fingerprints matched his immigration record, the affidavit says, adding that he didn’t have U.S. Attorney General or Secretary of Homeland Security permission to reenter the states.
Also, Drugs And Assaults
Sanudo-Zavala also has a criminal record out of California, says the affidavit.
The deportation agent found:
- A June 29, 2010, conviction for illegal entry in Yuma County, California.
- A Sept. 16, 2020, conviction for drug possession in Mendocino County, California.
- A Jan. 5, 2022, conviction for assault with a deadly weapon (not a firearm) in Mendocino County.
- A Jan. 5, 2022, conviction for drug possession in Mendocino County.
“Sanudo-Zavala refused to provide an address when arrested,” reads the affidavit. “It appears Sanudo-Zavala has no ties to the State of Wyoming.”
The government seeks to keep Sanudo-Zavala detained throughout his case, the filing says.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
