Mexican national who stole U.S. citizen’s identity sentenced to prison

HOUSTON - A 39-year-old Mexican citizen has been ordered to federal prison after illegally reentering the United States under an assumed identity, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Following a two-day-trial, a federal jury found Jose Martin Valdez-Galvan guilty May 29, 2025, after approximately four hours of deliberation.

U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo sentenced Valdez-Galvan to 41 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is once again expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.

On June 11, 2024, authorities encountered Valdez-Galvan in Laredo. During the encounter, he provided a false name and claimed to be a U.S. citizen. Authorities later determined Valdez-Galvan was an illegal alien who had previously been removed from the United States and had returned without permission.

Court records reflect Valdez-Galvan assumed the false identity in 2015 following his second removal from the United States.

Law enforcement positively identified Valdez-Galvan through fingerprint analysis. At trial, Valdez-Galvan disputed his identity, and his mother testified that her son's name was different, despite having previously identified him as Valdez-Galvan.

The defense challenged the reliability of the evidence, but the jury found Valdez-Galvan guilty as charged.

He 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 with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Cortez, Jay Hileman and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Oliver prosecuted the case.