Sexual Offender Banned for Life

Tucson, Ariz. – A 53-year-old man from Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Mexico, apprehended by Tucson Station Border Patrol agents in September 2011, was sentenced to 33 months of confinement on Feb. 1.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted Marcial Avilar-Perez following his September apprehension for attempting to illegally re-enter the United States. During processing at the Tucson Station, agents used the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System to learn that Avilar-Perez was convicted in 1990 for lewd acts against a child under 14 years old in Riverside County, Calif. He was sentenced to one year in jail.

Following the Border Patrol’s initial processing, the case was submitted to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for re-entry of a felon. Avilar-Perez will be formally removed from the United States following his 33-month incarceration and is now banned for life from all legalization processes.

All illegal immigrants apprehended by the Border Patrol undergo criminal history checks using IAFIS. This vital tool accesses criminal records throughout the United States, enabling agents to quickly identify violent criminals and wanted people.

As part of a targeted enforcement strategy, the Tucson Sector places individuals into impact programs that are designed to influence their decision not to commit a subsequent illegal entry.

Customs and Border Protection welcomes assistance from the community. Citizens can report suspicious activity and remain anonymous by calling the Border Patrol at (877) 872-7435 toll free.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.