Juan Carlos Padilla Santos, a habitual criminal with a history of major offenses, received a 100-month federal prison sentence for his most recent unlawful re-entry into the United States. The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, confirmed the sentencing, indicating that Padilla Santos’ flagrant disregard for US immigration laws and criminal past have finally caught up with him, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Padilla Santos had been deported twice and was facing a third removal order when he was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick. Padilla Santos’ criminal record includes narcotics distribution and murder charges, and despite these heinous crimes, he attempted to illegally navigate the immigration system and deceptively remain in the United States, according to U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. Clayton was reported to say, “Like so many others, Santos then deceitfully and illegally exploited our immigration system.” Dangerous felons who return to this country illegally after being deported will face the full extent of the law. “We thank the women and men of Homeland Security Investigations for their dedication to these matters,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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HSI Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel echoed this sentiment, highlighting the defendant’s ongoing attempts to circumvent legal procedures. “Juan Carlos Padilla Santos exhibited time and time again his disregard for our immigration laws needed for public safety,” Patel told me. His previous actions have included a complicated tapestry of unlawful activity ranging from narcotics possession to murder, as well as attempts to dodge justice, such as allegedly faking his death, according to the US Attorney’s Office.
Padilla Santos’ journey through the criminal court system has been characterized by persistence and evasion. He was deported from the United States in 2010 after serving a drug distribution sentence but returned less than a year later. Through a series of illegal efforts and deportations, he was able to re-enter the United States, reinforcing his drive to defy the law. His efforts culminated in 2021, when he falsely claimed to have died in the Dominican Republic before illegally re-entering the United States for the third time.
In addition to his jail sentence, the 50-year-old Dominican native will face three years of supervised release after serving his term. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton praised HSI New York’s investigative efforts, as well as the support of Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Criminal Prosecutions Unit, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Office of Fraud Detection and National Security, and HSI Santo Domingo International Operations. Assistant US Attorney Katherine Cheng has been recognized as the prosecutor in charge of Padilla Santos’ case.
