8 criminals charged in Eastern WA with re-entering U.S. after being deported

Eight people in Eastern Washington have been charged recently in federal court with illegally entering the United States after being deported, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Eastern Washington announced Thursday.

All were Mexican nationals with criminal records who had previously been removed from the United States at least once.

Their latest charges of illegal re-entry carry a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

“Those who commit crimes while unlawfully present, should be subject to our criminal immigration laws,” said acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie Van Marter of the Eastern Washington district.

A man found in Connell, Jose Luis Cruz-Agustin, 38, who was previously deported twice from the United States, was among those recently charged and indicted by a grand jury.

He had been convicted of felony third-degree rape in in Adams County in 2015.

The next year he was convicted of illegal re-entry into the United States in Arizona and was sentenced to 12 years and nine months in prison.

He also has convictions in state court for third-degree assault, furnishing liquor to a minor, hit-and-run accident injury with domestic violence, and fourth-degree domestic violence assault.

He pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court in Richland and is scheduled to be sentenced in October.

The seven others recently charge with illegal re-entry were found in Yakima County, with several of them located in the Yakima County Jail.

At least some of those in jail were found using the Alien Criminal Response Information Management System, or ACRIME, a web-based data system that alerts Immigration and Customs Enforcement when a person who has had a previous immigration issue is arrested and their fingerprints are sent to the FBI.

Other Eastern WA cases

Cases, and allegations as detailed by federal prosecutors and court documents, include the following:

▪ Santiago Gracida-Santos, 29, has been removed from the United States twice.

He has been convicted of illegally re-entering the U.S. after deportation, DUI and carrying a concealed weapon. He also has been charged with robbery and exhibiting a deadly weapon.

On June 30, he was arrested by the Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife for arson, but released after posting bond.

▪ Marco Alvarez-Acevedo, 35, was arrested in Sunnyside July 3.

He previously was convicted of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to commit money laundering in Montana. He also was convicted in Western Washington of attempted possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

In 2022, he was deported to Mexico from Texas.

▪ Pedro Soberanis, 49, was found in the Yakima County Jail under the name of Victor Godinez-Vasquez. He is facing charges of harassment and threats to kill and second-degree burglary.

He previously was convicted of theft of a motor vehicle, burglary, possession of a stolen vehicle, residential burglary, possession of meth, battery of spouse and re-entering the United States after deportation. He has been removed from the United States multiple times.

▪ Jose Bautista-Sanchez, 29, was found in the Yakima County Jail after being charged with harassment/threat to kill and assault.

He has previous convictions of criminal trespass, domestic violence assault, attempted residential burglary and voyeurism. He has been removed from the United States multiple times.

▪ Jovenal Faustino-Pineda, 30, who was found in Yakima County, was sentenced to 45 days in jail for a Franklin County burglary in 2015.

He also has previous convictions for fourth-degree assault, interference with a report and burglary. He has been removed from the U.S. multiple times.

He was recently charged in state court with possession of a stolen vehicle, burglary and theft.

▪ Guadalupe Hernandez-Mendez, 26, was found during a vehicle stop in Toppenish on June 11.

They had two convictions for DUI and convictions for obstruction and reckless driving. Hernandez-Mendez was twice removed from Arizona to Mexico.

▪ Ruben Mata-Prida, was found June 23 in the Yakima County Jail, according to a federal court document.

He has four convictions for DUI, plus convictions for hit and run, obstruction and threats to do harm.

Eastern WA cases

Some of the cases of the eight defendants shared trends of using false names, including to enter the United States, unresolved criminal matters because they failed to appear in court, drug convictions; illegal possession of gun and a history of violent offenses, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Eastern Washington.

It has prioritized identifying people who are recidivist offenders, it said.

The work on the alleged illegal re-entry cases by ICE, Homeland Security Investigations and other federal agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Agency, make Eastern Washington safer, Van Marter said.

Illegal re-entry is a criminal offense and is separate from civil immigration enforcement.