United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana
09/08/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/08/2026 14:30
Mexican Illegal Alien Indicted for Illegal Re-Entry of Removed Alien, with Enhanced Penalty for Prior Felony Convictions
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA -ANDRES TOVAR-MERCADO ("TOVAR-MERCADO"), age 39, a native of Mexico, was indicted on September 3, 2026, for illegal re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Sections 1326(a) and 1326(b)(2), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to the charging document, the defendant was found in the United States on August 18, 2026, having reentered the United States without authorization from the Attorney General of the United States after being previously deported on October 13, 2016.
TOVAR-MERCADO faces up to two years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00 for re-entry of a removed alien. He is also eligible for a 10-year enhanced sentencing because of felony convictions in the Western District of Texas for illegal re-entry into the United States.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Border Patrol in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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