CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 36-year-old Mexican citizen has been ordered to federal prison for illegally reentering the country again, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jose de Jesus Galicia-Castillo pleaded guilty Sept. 24, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Galicia-Castillo to serve 42 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings again following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about his criminal history while illegally present in the United States.
Galicia-Castillo has two previous convictions for illegally reentering the United States after being removed.
He was first removed in 2008 and returned illegally on at least two other occasions. Most recently, authorities discovered him July 25, 2025, near Falfurrias with no authorization to be there.
Galicia-Castillo has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley A. Pruitt prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Southern District of Texas — U.S. Department of Justice press release.