Illegal alien with convictions for assault and indecency with a child sentenced for unlawfully reentering the country

HOUSTON - A 42-year-old Mexican national has been ordered to federal prison for illegally reentering the country, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Juan Ignacio Miranda-Arente pleaded guilty Nov. 19, 2025.

U.S. District Judge Charles R. Eskridge has now ordered Miranda-Arente to serve 21 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about the crimes he committed while illegally present in the United States. Specifically, Judge Eskridge stated that he was guided by the very serious nature of Miranda-Arente's indecency with a child conviction that he committed after illegally reentering the United States.

In addition to that crime, Miranda-Arente also has a conviction for assault that involved a tire iron in 2008. He was first ordered removed after that but returned illegally. Authorities discovered him in March 2020 in Conroe upon his arrest for the indecency charge with no legal authorization to be in the country.

Miranda-Arente has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Hostetter 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.