Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca5-14-40969/USCOURTS-ca5-14-40969-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Sergio Ramirez-Gandarilla
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

No. 14-40969

Summary Calendar

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff-Appellee

v.

SERGIO RAMIREZ-GANDARILLA,

Defendant-Appellant

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Southern District of Texas

USDC No. 1:14-CR-214-1

Before KING, JOLLY, and HAYNES, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:*

Sergio Ramirez-Gandarilla pleaded guilty to being an alien unlawfully 

found in the United States after deportation, having been previously convicted 

of a felony. Relevant to the appeal, the district court assessed a 12-level “drug 

trafficking offense” enhancement, pursuant to § 2L1.2(b)(1)(B), based on 

Ramirez-Gandarilla’s 1989 federal conviction for possession with intent to 

distribute marijuana. 

 

* 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

July 15, 2015

Lyle W. Cayce

Clerk

Case: 14-40969 Document: 00513116143 Page: 1 Date Filed: 07/15/2015
No. 14-40969

2

For the first time on appeal, Ramirez-Gandarilla argues that the district 

court plainly erred by applying the 12-level drug trafficking enhancement 

under § 2L1.2 because his 1989 federal conviction for possession with intent to 

distribute marijuana could have been committed without evidence of 

remuneration or commercial activity.

This court recently held that an enhancement under § 2L1.2(b)(1)(A)(i) 

for a prior drug trafficking offense, as that term is defined by the Sentencing 

Commission in § 2L1.2, comment. (n.1(B)(iv)), is warranted regardless of 

whether the conviction for the prior offense required proof of remuneration or 

commercial activity. United States v. Martinez-Lugo, 782 F.3d 198, 204-05 (5th 

Cir. 2015). Additionally, in United States v. Rodriguez-Escareno, 700 F.3d 751, 

754 (5th Cir. 2012), this court specifically stated that “21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) is 

a federal drug trafficking offense as defined in Application Note 1” of § 2L1.2. 

Accordingly, the judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED. 

Case: 14-40969 Document: 00513116143 Page: 2 Date Filed: 07/15/2015