SIOUX CITY — A Guatemalan illegal alien who repeatedly returned to the United States and twice tried to escape Northern Iowa law enforcement officers has been sentenced to federal prison.
Rogelio Morales-Ramos, 36, formerly living in Sioux Center, was sentenced July 14, 2026, to six months in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States.
Morales-Ramos pleaded guilty May 21 to one count of illegal reentry. He admitted entering the country without permission after previously being removed from the United States on June 13, 2019.
Federal authorities ultimately determined Morales-Ramos had been deported to Guatemala three separate times before he was caught living in Iowa again.
Speeding stop turns into foot chase
The latest trouble began April 1 when Sioux County law enforcement officers attempted to stop a vehicle Morales-Ramos was driving for speeding.
Morales-Ramos initially refused to stop. When he eventually pulled over, he jumped from the vehicle and ran from officers.
A search of the abandoned vehicle uncovered an open container of alcohol in the center console, additional alcohol and what federal prosecutors described as a fictitious international driver’s license.
Authorities did not immediately capture Morales-Ramos.
Officers track him to Sioux Center home
Law enforcement officers tracked Morales-Ramos to his Sioux Center residence three days later, on April 4.
Instead of surrendering, Morales-Ramos again attempted to flee. Officers caught him following the second escape attempt.
A search of the residence uncovered additional fictitious documents, according to federal prosecutors.
Once Morales-Ramos was in custody, immigration officials confirmed he was a Guatemalan citizen who had already been deported from the United States three times.
Federal case follows Northern Iowa arrest
A federal grand jury charged Morales-Ramos with illegal reentry on April 16. He appeared before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Kelly K.E. Mahoney and pleaded guilty May 21.
U.S. District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand accepted the guilty plea in June and imposed the six-month prison term during a sentencing hearing in Sioux City.
Morales-Ramos must serve one year of supervised release after completing the prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal prison system.
Federal authorities did not specify whether he faces separate Iowa charges arising from the speeding incident, open alcohol container, alleged fake documents or attempts to escape officers. The government also did not announce when Morales-Ramos could again be removed from the country.
Operation Take Back America
The prosecution was conducted under Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative targeting illegal immigration, cartels, transnational criminal organizations and offenders considered threats to American communities.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood prosecuted the case. The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated.