Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
A Mexican national residing in Hampton, Iowa, has been sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States after multiple removals. Fabian Arias-Ramirez, 39, pleaded guilty on June 12, 2025, to one count of illegal reentry following removal.
During his plea hearing, Arias-Ramirez acknowledged he had been removed from the U.S. before and returned without government authorization. He was initially ordered removed in 2013 but did not leave until 2019. After that removal, he made several attempts to reenter the country and was removed each time. On April 22, 2025, immigration authorities found him in Iowa Falls after he visited his probation officer following his second conviction for Operating While Intoxicated.
This marks Arias-Ramirez’s third federal conviction related to illegal immigration. He has two prior misdemeanor convictions for illegal entry and state convictions in Iowa for Operating While Intoxicated (in both 2013 and 2024) as well as Criminal Mischief.
Chief Judge C.J. Williams of the U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids handed down the sentence: twelve months and one day of imprisonment followed by a year of supervised release. There is no parole available under federal law.
The case falls under Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), a nationwide initiative led by the Department of Justice to address illegal immigration, target cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime by coordinating efforts with agencies such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
"This case is part of Operation Take Back America...a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN)."
Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt prosecuted this case following an investigation by Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement Enforcement and Removal Operations.
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