Hawkeye Reporter

A Mexican citizen residing in North Buena Vista, Iowa, has been sentenced to eight months in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States after being deported multiple times. Mario Uribe-Rodriguez, 33, pleaded guilty on May 8, 2025, to one count of illegal reentry into the United States following a felony conviction.

During his plea hearing, Uribe-Rodriguez admitted to returning to the United States without government permission after previous deportations. He had been removed from the country in 2012, 2014, and 2018. On April 9, 2025, immigration officials encountered him in Dubuque, Iowa. He had been summoned to state court for a fifth-degree theft charge in Dubuque County.

This latest conviction marks Uribe-Rodriguez’s fourth federal offense related to illegal immigration. His prior convictions include illegal entry in the Western District of Texas in 2012; eluding examination by immigration officers in the District of Arizona in 2014; and illegal reentry into the United States—a felony—in the Western District of Texas in 2018. In each case, he was deported after serving jail time.

Uribe-Rodriguez received his sentence from Chief Judge C.J. Williams at the U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids. Along with his prison term, he must serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his sentence. Federal law does not allow parole.

The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), a national initiative that coordinates Department of Justice resources to address illegal immigration and related criminal activity by leveraging efforts from programs such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).