Mexican National Who Killed Pedestrian in Drunken Crash Sentenced to 15 Years for Immigration Violations

A Mexican man twice convicted of driving drunk - once with fatal consequences - was sentenced today to 15 years in federal prison for entering the U.S. illegally, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Guadalupe Gerardo Reyes-Gonzalez, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with illegal re-entry after removal from the United States shortly after his second DWI. He pleaded guilty in August and was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Ada Brown to 15 years in federal prison.

According to state court records, Mr. Reyes-Gonzalez was convicted of intoxicated manslaughter in 1997 after he slammed his vehicle into a pedestrian, causing such severe trauma to his head that he died that same day. Mr. Reyes-Gonzalez's blood alcohol content was 0.15, nearly twice the legal limit. He was sentenced to eight years imprisonment by the state. After serving his sentence, the defendant was deported and returned to the U.S. several times. In 2021, Mr. Reyes-Gonzalez once again drove drunk. He was convicted of DWI and sentenced to three days imprisonment.

At his federal sentencing hearing, Judge Brown noted that the defendant had already killed one U.S. citizen and she was sentencing him to 180 months in federal prison in order to protect the public.

U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation with the cooperation of the Mesquite Police Department, which responded to the DWI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Walt Junker prosecuted the case.