CEDAR RAPIDS – A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported and was arrested in Iowa was sentenced to three months in federal prison.
Santos Lara-Figueroa, age 43, a citizen of Honduras illegally present in the United States and residing in Hiawatha, Iowa, received the prison term today after a guilty plea on July 20, 2022, to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.
At the guilty plea, Lara-Figueroa admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Lara-Figueroa, falsely claiming to be a Mexican citizen, was removed to Mexico by immigration officials in July 2006. One month later in August 2006, he illegally reentered the United States by crossing the border on foot into Texas. Lara-Figueroa was deported to Honduras from Virginia in January 2011. On February 22, 2022, immigration officials learned Lara-Figueroa had illegally returned to the United States and found Lara-Figueroa at the Linn County Jail following his arrest on state charges.
Lara-Figueroa was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Lara-Figueroa was sentenced to 92 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Lara-Figueroa is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
