Case Name: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Victor ESPINOSA-CONTRERAS, Defendant-Appellant
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 2007-05-17
Citations: 228 F. App'x 481
Docket Number: No. 05-41568
Parties: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Victor ESPINOSA-CONTRERAS, Defendant-Appellant.
Judges: Before DeMOSS, STEWART, and PRADO, Circuit Judges.
Reporter: West's Federal Appendix
Volume: 228
Pages: 481–482

Head Matter:
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Victor ESPINOSA-CONTRERAS, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 05-41568
Summary Calendar.
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.
May 17, 2007.
James Lee Turner, Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of Texas, Houston, TX, for PlaintiffAppellee.
Timothy William Crooks, Assistant Federal Public Defender, Marjorie A. Meyers, Federal Public Defender, Federal Public Defender’s Office Southern District of Texas, Houston, TX, for Defendant-Appellant.
Before DeMOSS, STEWART, and PRADO, Circuit Judges.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM:
Victor Espinosa-Contreras (Espinosa) appeals the 46-month sentence of imprisonment imposed following his guilty plea conviction for illegal reentry following deportation. Espinosa argues that the district court did not address all of the sentencing factors listed in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) in imposing sentence and did not address the reasons that Espinosa ad vanced for a downward departure or variance from the Guidelines.
The Government argues that the court lacks jurisdiction to review the district court's discretionary denial of Espinosa's motion for a downward departure or variance.
The court lacks jurisdiction to review a discretionary decision not to depart downward from the guideline range. However, the court must still determine whether the imposition of a guideline sentence instead of a non-guideline sentence was reasonable. United States v. Nikonova, 480 F.3d 371, 375 (5th Cir.2007).
Espinosa has demonstrated no error in the guidelines computation, and the district court gave appropriate reasons for the sentence. We therefore give great deference to the sentence imposed. United States v. Mares, 402 F.3d 511, 520 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, — U.S. -, 126 S.Ct. 43, 163 L.Ed.2d 76 (2005). Given Espinosa's serious prior drug conviction and his illegal return to the United States after serving a 40-month sentence and being deported to Mexico, and the deference due to the sentencing judge's discretion, the sentence imposed is not unreasonable.
Espinosa's constitutional challenge to 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b) is foreclosed by Almendarez-Torres v. United States, 523 U.S. 224, 235, 118 S.Ct. 1219, 140 L.Ed.2d 350 (1998). Although Espinosa contends that Almendarez-Torres was incorrectly decided and that a majority of the Supreme Court would overrule Almendarez-Torres in light of Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 120 S.Ct. 2348, 147 L.Ed.2d 435 (2000), we have repeatedly rejected such arguments on the basis that Almendarez-Torres remains binding. See United States v. Garza-Lopez, 410 F.3d 268, 276 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, — U.S. -, 126 S.Ct. 298, 163 L.Ed.2d 260 (2005). Espinosa properly concedes that his argument is foreclosed in light of Almendarez-Torres and circuit precedent, but he raises it here to preserve it for further review.
AFFIRMED.
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.