Mario Ruiz-Toledo, 22, a Mexican national, was arrested on Feb. 2 following an investigation by the Bay County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) into multiple burglaries in Bay County, Fla. BCSO alerted special agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) about Ruiz-Toledo due to their knowledge about his previous deportation.
"This is just one example of the possible thousands of other convicted criminal aliens that are in our country illegally, robbing and stealing from hard-working, law-abiding, legal, American citizens," said Bay County Sheriff Frank McKeithen.
"Criminal aliens who have been previously deported and then flagrantly disregard our laws by illegally re-entering the United States and continuing to commit crimes here should not be surprised to find themselves facing stiff federal prison sentences," said Susan McCormick, special agent in charge of ICE HSI in Tampa, Fla.
Ruiz-Toledo pled guilty to the burglary charges on May 19 in 14th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida and was sentenced to eight years state in prison. He also has prior conviction on Aug. 27, 2009 in the 14th Judicial Circuit Court for assault with a deadly weapon.
Ruiz-Toledo was previously removed from the country by the ICE Office of Enforcement and Removal (ERO) in September 2009 following his conviction for assault with a deadly weapon.
He will be removed again to Mexico after he completes his prison sentences.
Re-entering the United States after being formally deported is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Love prosecuted the case.
