Manuel De Jesus Lira Aguilar, a 51-year-old Mexican national, has pleaded guilty to unlawful reentry into the United States. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma reported that Lira Aguilar was unlawfully present in Carter County, Oklahoma. He faces a potential prison sentence of up to ten years and a fine not exceeding $250,000.
The investigation leading to these charges involved the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and the Carter County Sheriff’s Office. According to the indictment, on October 21, 2024, Lira Aguilar was found in the United States after having been previously removed without obtaining permission from the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at addressing illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations. It also seeks to protect communities from violent crime through coordinated efforts with Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
U.S. Magistrate Judge Gerald L. Jackson accepted Lira Aguilar’s plea in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma and ordered a presentence investigation report. A U.S. District Court Judge will later determine his sentence based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Lira Aguilar remains in custody with the United States Marshals Service until sentencing occurs. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dak T. Cohen and Jonathan E. Soverly.
