Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca5-03-41287/USCOURTS-ca5-03-41287-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
United States of America
Appellee
Ricardo Varela
Appellant

Document Text:

* Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined

that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent

except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR.

R. 47.5.4.

United States Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

FILED

April 21, 2004

Charles R. Fulbruge III

Clerk

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

 

No. 03-41287

Conference Calendar

 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff-Appellee,

versus

RICARDO VARELA,

also know as John Michael Reyes,

Defendant-Appellant.

--------------------

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Southern District of Texas

USDC No. M-03-CR-481-1

--------------------

Before JOLLY, JONES, and SMITH, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:*

Ricardo Varela argues for the first time on appeal that the

aggravated felony enhancement found in 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b) is

unconstitutional under Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 490

(2000). Varela concedes that his argument is foreclosed by

Almendarez-Torres v. United States, 523 U.S. 224 (1998), but he

asserts that Almendarez-Torres has been called into doubt by

Apprendi and he seeks to preserve the issue for possible Supreme

Court review. We AFFIRM Valera’s conviction and sentence. 

 Case: 03-41287 Document: 0051323459 Page: 1 Date Filed: 04/21/2004
No. 03-41287

-2-

See United States v. Dabeit, 231 F.3d 979, 984 (5th Cir. 2000).

AFFIRMED.

 Case: 03-41287 Document: 0051323459 Page: 2 Date Filed: 04/21/2004