Deported Alien with Felony Drug Conviction Charged with Illegally Re-entering United States

PITTSBURGH, PA - An illegal alien found in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of illegal re-entry after deportation, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

The one-count Indictment, returned on Dec. 18, named Vicente Perez-Vargas, 40, of Mexico, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment presented to the court, Perez-Vargas, an illegal alien who had been previously deported from the United States on October 19, 1999, after having been convicted of an aggravated felony for illicit trafficking in a controlled substance, was found to be present in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on November 21, 2018, without first receiving permission to reenter the United States.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Homeland Security Investigations, conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.