PENSACOLA — A 42-year-old illegal alien from Mexico who used fake identification and at least two aliases was sentenced to twelve months in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States after a prior deportation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida announced.
Jose Perez-Perez, also known as “Luis Zavaleta-Cruz” and “Luis Angel Torres Arcos,” pleaded guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien. He had been deported in 2023 after convictions for driving under the influence, battery, resisting arrest and illegal reentry into the United States — four convictions in all.
“This violent criminal alien was previously deported after a felony conviction, but thought he could illegally return to our country without consequence. Wrong,” said John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. “Our nation’s immigration laws are not mere suggestions, they are in place to keep our communities safe from criminals like this defendant. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute criminal illegal aliens to send them to federal prison before deporting them back to wherever they came from.”
According to court records, Perez-Perez was found in Escambia County in December 2025 after providing a fake identification card to law enforcement. Despite his 2023 deportation and criminal record, he had managed to illegally cross back into the country undetected.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant United States Attorney Brooke DiSalvo prosecuted the case as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices serving as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. Deportation proceedings against Perez-Perez will commence after he completes his twelve-month federal sentence.