Illegal Alien and Convicted Drug Dealer Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Federal Prison

INDIANAPOLIS— Juan Morales, 49, of Mexico, has been sentenced to 37 months in federal prison followed by one year of supervised release after pleading guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien after deportation.  

According to court documents, on November 6, 2024, Morales was convicted of operating a motor vehicle without ever receiving a license. Further investigation revealed that Morales had been removed from the United States on two separate occasions in 2007 and 2018.

Morales has a lengthy criminal history, including two previous federal convictions for illegal reentry, as well as two convictions in Indiana and Illinois for dealing cocaine and methamphetamine.

“While in the United States unlawfully for a third time, this defendant has repeatedly broken the law, demonstrating time and time again a fundamental lack of respect for this country,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Our office is committed to working with ICE and our other law enforcement partners to ensure criminal defendants like Mr. Morales cannot continue to pose danger to our communities.”

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young

Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany J. Preston and Samantha Spiro, who prosecuted this case.

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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN)

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