IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

No. 12-20146

Summary Calendar

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff-Appellee

v.

EDUARDO MURO-FLORES,

Defendant-Appellant

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Southern District of Texas

USDC No. 4:11-CR-795-1

Before HIGGINBOTHAM, OWEN, and SOUTHWICK, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:*

Eduardo Muro-Flores appeals the sentence imposed following his guilty

plea conviction for being an alien found unlawfully present in the United States

following deportation. The district court sentenced Muro-Flores to 64 months

of imprisonment to be followed by a two-year term of supervised release. 

Muro-Flores argues for the first time on appeal that the sentence was

procedurally and substantively unreasonable because the district court imposed

a term of supervised release despite the Sentencing Guidelines’ direction that

United States Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

F I L E D

February 26, 2013

Lyle W. Cayce

Clerk

* 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.

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No. 12-20146

“ordinarily” no term of supervised release should be imposed if the defendant is

a deportable alien. He specifically contends that the sentence was procedurally

unreasonable because the district court gave an inadequate explanation for

imposing a term of supervised release, relied upon the prohibited factor of

punishment in deciding to impose supervised release, and did not provide him

with prior notice of its intent to depart from the guidelines range. Muro-Flores

alleges that his sentence is substantively unreasonable because the district court

did not account for the Guidelines’ recommendation that supervised release not

be imposed and gave improper weight to the prohibited factor of punishment. 

Because Muro-Flores failed to raise these objections in the district court,

our review is limited to plain error. See United States v. Dominguez-Alvarado,

695 F.3d 324, 327 (5th Cir. 2012). To show plain error, Muro-Flores must show

a forfeited error that is clear or obvious and that affects his substantial rights. 

See Puckett v. United States, 556 U.S. 129, 135 (2009). If he makes such a

showing, this court has the discretion to correct the error but only if it seriously

affects the fairness, integrity, or public reputation of judicial proceedings. Id.

The term of supervision imposed on Muro-Flores was within the statutory

and guidelines range for his offense of conviction; therefore, it did not trigger a

“departure analysis.” See Dominguez-Alvarado, 695 F.3d at 329. Muro-Flores’s

contention that the district court was required to give notice of its departure

from the Guidelines thus fails. See id.

Our review of the record reveals that the district court considered relevant

facts that justified a term of supervised release. The presentence report alerted

the district court to the 2011 amendment to U.S.S.G. § 5D1.1(c), as well as the

history and characteristics of the defendant, and the district court considered the

information in the presentence report along with the arguments of the parties. 

The district court’s comments at sentencing evince its concern with the need for

deterrence and protection in light of Muro-Flores’s history and characteristics

rather than a concern with imposing just punishment; deterrence and protection

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No. 12-20146

are permissible factors that are relevant to a determination whether to impose

a term of supervised release. See Dominguez-Alvarado, 695 F.3d at 329. Thus,

Muro-Flores has not shown that the district court committed reversible plain

error in imposing the supervised release term. See Puckett, 556 U.S. at 135.

Muro-Flores’s argument that his sentence is substantively unreasonable

also lacks merit. Because the supervised release term was within the guidelines

range, the court applies a presumption of reasonableness and infers that the

district court considered all pertinent sentencing considerations in imposing the

sentence. See United States v. Mares, 402 F.3d 511, 519 (5th Cir. 2005). The

record shows that the district court was aware of § 5D1.1(c), and did not give

significant weight to the improper factor of punishment in opting to impose a

two-year term of supervised release. Thus, Muro-Flores has not demonstrated,

under the applicable plain error standard, that his sentence was substantively

unreasonable. Puckett, 556 U.S. at 135.

The sentence is AFFIRMED.

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