Justin De La Torre, the Border Patrol chief for San Diego, California, announced that Mexican national Rodolfo De Leon Carlos was sentenced to 24 months for illegal reentry on top of prior felony convictions. He will be deported after serving his prison term. This statement was made on X.
“A criminal illegal alien arrested by Yuma Station agents in April has another felony conviction on his rap sheet – reentry of removed alien,” said De La Torre. “Rodolfo De Leon Carlos, a 46-year-old Mexican national, was recently convicted 8 USC 1326 and sentenced to 24 months in prison. His other felony convictions include theft-means of transportation and unlawful flight from law enforcement. De Leon Carlos will be deported from the U.S. following the completion of his latest sentence.”
According to Yuma Sector’s official channels, Rodolfo De Leon Carlos was initially arrested by Yuma Station agents in April as a criminal illegal alien with prior felony convictions for theft of means of transportation and unlawful flight from law enforcement. After his latest case, he was convicted of reentry of a removed alien under 8 U.S.C. 1326 and received a 24-month federal prison sentence. De La Torre noted that he will be deported once the term is served. The sector has used this case to emphasize how persistent offenders face escalating consequences when they repeatedly violate U.S. immigration and criminal laws.
Criminal reentry cases like De Leon Carlos’s are part of a broader national pattern. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) criminal noncitizen statistics show that in fiscal year 2024, the Border Patrol recorded about 16,993 encounters with criminal noncitizens. A USAFacts analysis notes roughly 17,000 apprehensions of people with prior convictions—around 1.1% of all Border Patrol apprehensions that year. Although these offenders represent a small share of the total flow, they often have extensive records and are a major focus for agents and prosecutors. Conservative border-security advocates argue that such numbers justify firm sentencing under 8 U.S.C. 1326 and rapid removal after prison to prevent repeat offenders from returning to U.S. communities.
Federal law treats illegal reentry after removal as a felony offense. Under 8 U.S.C. 1326(a), a basic reentry conviction carries a maximum sentence of up to two years in prison, but penalties increase sharply for those with prior criminal records, including potential 10-year and 20-year maximums when earlier convictions involve certain felonies or aggravated felonies. Justice Department guidance and Congressional Research Service summaries describe illegal reentry prosecutions as a core tool for imposing real consequences on those who ignore removal orders and return without permission, particularly when combined with initiatives like Operation Streamline that expanded criminal prosecutions for border offenses.
De La Torre is a veteran U.S. Border Patrol leader with more than 25 years securing the Southwest border. A San Diego native, he began at the Imperial Beach Station in 2000 and has since taken on demanding roles, including the All-Terrain Vehicle Unit, Border Patrol Tactical Unit, and leadership posts in multiple sectors. In January 2025 he became chief patrol agent of the Yuma Sector, overseeing about 126 miles of border in Arizona and California, and in November 2025 he was introduced as chief patrol agent for the San Diego Sector. De La Torre credits firm, immediate consequences for illegal entry with reducing crossings in Yuma and praises lawful foreign-labor programs and strong local partnerships as models for security-focused border management.
