SIOUX CITY – A Mexican national living in northwest Iowa has pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally reentering the United States as an aggravated felon, after authorities say he had already been deported four times and had prior federal convictions for the same offense.
Jesus Gamboa-Brambila, 51, a citizen of Mexico who had been residing in Sheldon, Iowa, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Sioux City to illegal reentry as an aggravated felon.
Federal prosecutors said Gamboa-Brambila admitted at his plea hearing that he illegally returned to the United States without permission after previously being removed from the country on August 4, 2018.
His criminal history includes a 1991 conviction in Los Angeles County, California, for shooting at an inhabited dwelling, an offense federal prosecutors identified as an aggravated felony. The California crime is commonly associated with firing a gun at an occupied home or building.
Gamboa-Brambila also had prior federal convictions in the Northern District of Iowa in 2004 and 2014 for illegal reentry as an aggravated felon, according to prosecutors.
Authorities said the latest case began after Gamboa-Brambila was found in O’Brien County on March 21, 2026, following his arrest on state charges of domestic abuse assault, first offense, and criminal mischief. While he was in custody, immigration officials confirmed his identity, determined he was a citizen of Mexico and confirmed he had previously been deported from the United States to Mexico four times.
The state charges stem from the O’Brien County arrest, while the federal case centers on his alleged unlawful presence in the United States after removal and after felony convictions.
Gamboa-Brambila (pictured at top in a jail photo) remains in custody while awaiting sentencing. A sentencing date will be set after a presentence investigation report is completed.
He faces up to 20 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood. The investigation was handled by the O’Brien County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.