According to the accusation, the former MS-13 member was deported in July 2018.
A Mara Salvatrucha member was charged in a Louisiana court in the state of New Orleans with entering the United States illegally, after having previously been deported, the newspaper reported. Department of Justice.
The accused was identified as Lorenzo Alexander Benitez, 40, originally from El Salvador.
“Under the indictment, Benitez illegally reentered the United States after being deported on July 27, 2018,” the statement read.
If convicted, an MS-13 member could be sentenced to up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul J. Hubel and Spiro Latsis of the General Crimes Unit are prosecuting Benitez.
Jason Owens, chief of the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP), reported on May 1 that USBP agents arrested Benitez during a traffic stop.
“He will be prosecuted for re-entry after having previously been deported from the United States,” Owen said.
Additionally, he reported that in 2024, Border Patrol agents arrested 41 members of MS-13.
