Mexican National Living in Branson Pleads Guilty to Illegal Entry to U.S.

A person who has reentered the country illegally several times is sentenced after being caught in Branson.

The press release below is from the United States Attorney's Office Western District of Missouri:

A Mexican national in Branson who has been deported five times pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to illegally reentering the United States.

Oscar Ignacio Lopez-Ortega, 40, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to one count of illegally reentering the United States after having been deported.

Branson Police Officers attempted to apprehend Lopez-Ortega at a local hotel on March 1, 2022, but he jumped from a third-story balcony and fled into the woods. Although officers used a police dog to search for him, they were unable to track him.

Branson officers apprehended Lopez-Ortega at another local hotel on Nov. 26, 2022. Police officers were dispatched to assist a Missouri Department of Social Services, Children’s Division worker who had contacted Lopez-Ortega’s wife and children at the hotel. When the officer searched their hotel rooms, he found large bags fills with marijuana under one of the beds. Lopez-Ortega was found hiding under another bed and arrested.

Lopez-Ortega has been deported five times. Most recently, on May 17, 2021, he was deported from the United States to Mexico at Brownsville, Texas, after serving his prison sentence for illegally reentering the United States after having been deported.

Under federal statutes, Lopez-Ortega is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert. It was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Branson Police Department.