Guatemala Resident Ordered Removed from U.S. After Pleading Guilty to Illegal Reentry Charge

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Guatemala pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of illegal reentry of a removed alien and was sentenced to time served and ordered removed from the United States, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Josue Raul Ascon-Morales, 26.

According to information presented to the Court, Ascon-Morales was previously removed from the United States in March 2008. On September 1, 2024, the Moon Township Police Department encountered Ascon-Morales in the Western District of Pennsylvania secondary to a traffic stop. Law enforcement determined that Ascon-Morales was unlawfully present in the United States, and he was taken into custody by immigration authorities on October 22, 2024. He admitted to unlawfully entering the United States in April 2018, and was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 19, 2024.

Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Olshan commended U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Enforcement and Removal Operations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Ascon-Morales.