(Sioux City)– A man who had been living recently in northwest Iowa has pleaded guilty to illegally re-entering the U.S after having been convicted of a felony. 49-year-old Jesus Banuelos-Lepe, who prosecutors say is a Mexican citizen, had been living in Maurice, in Sioux county.
At a plea hearing in U.S. District Court in Sioux City, Banuelos-Lepe admitted that on July 20th of this year he was arrested in Sioux county for driving while intoxicated. It was discovered he had given a false alias to authorities while being booked into jail. Further investigation revealed his actual identity as Banuelos-Lepe, who had been removed from the U.S five times previously, and that he had previously been convicted of felony transportation of an illegal alien in April of 2007 in U.S. District Court in Oregon.
Banuelos-Lepe remains in the custody of a U.S. Marshal pending sentencing.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa says the case is part of “Operation Take Back America”.
