Jury Convicts Mexican National of Federal Immigration Violation

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - An illegal alien has been convicted of illegally reentering the United States.

According to evidence introduced at trial, Jaime Cruz-Hernandez, 37, was stopped and arrested on Jan. 6, 2026, by the Grandview, Mo. Police Department for driving while intoxicated. It was then determined that Cruz-Hernandez is a citizen of Mexico and in the United States illegally, after having been previously deported to Mexico in 2019.

Under federal statutes, Cruz-Hernandez is subject to a sentence of up to two 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.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for about 90 minutes before returning a guilty verdict to U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark, ending a trial that began on April 22, 2026.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rudolph R. Rhodes IV, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Viet Le. It was investigated by Grandview, Missouri Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, and Homeland Security Investigation.

Operation Take Back America

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.