Homeland Security Task Force Probe Leads to 20-Year Sentence for Illegal Alien Drug Trafficker

DHS announced that a Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) investigation led by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) resulted in a 20-year prison sentence for Jose Luis Mata-Cedillo, an illegal alien from Mexico convicted of cocaine trafficking and firearms offenses. He had previously been deported twice and reentered the country illegally multiple times.

Key points

• On October 1, Mata-Cedillo was sentenced to 20 years for cocaine trafficking, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, felon in possession of a firearm, and illegal reentry after deportation as an aggravated felon.
• The investigation began when an HSI Task Force Officer intercepted a courier transporting 27 kilograms of cocaine bound for St. Louis, Missouri.
• Further investigation led to seizure of about 13 kilograms of cocaine, $121,280 in cash, and a loaded 9mm Glock handgun.
• Mata-Cedillo first entered the U.S. illegally through Texas in 2008 and was deported the same day; he later reentered, was deported again in August 2020, and reentered a third time.
• After sentencing he was turned over to the U.S. Marshals Service and will face deportation proceedings after completing his sentence.
• The investigation was conducted under Executive Order 14159, which established Homeland Security Task Forces nationwide; this case was led by HSI St. Louis.

Who is affected

This announcement concerns a specific individual convicted of drug trafficking and illegal reentry; it does not change immigration policy for applicants or the general public.

What to do