Case Name: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Arturo LOPEZ-CHAVEZ, also known as Ricardo Migul Chavez, also known as Ricardo Lopez-Chavez, also known as Ricardo Miguel Chavez, Defendant-Appellant
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 2006-08-25
Citations: 195 F. App'x 251
Docket Number: No. 05-21101
Parties: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Arturo LOPEZ-CHAVEZ, also known as Ricardo Migul Chavez, also known as Ricardo Lopez-Chavez, also known as Ricardo Miguel Chavez, Defendant-Appellant.
Judges: Before DAVIS, SMITH, and WIENER, Circuit Judges.
Reporter: West's Federal Appendix
Volume: 195
Pages: 251–251

Head Matter:
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Arturo LOPEZ-CHAVEZ, also known as Ricardo Migul Chavez, also known as Ricardo Lopez-Chavez, also known as Ricardo Miguel Chavez, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 05-21101
Conference Calendar.
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.
Aug. 25, 2006.
James Lee Turner, Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas, Houston, TX, for PlaintiffAppellee.
Marjorie A. Meyers, Federal Public Defender, H. Michael Sokolow, Federal Public Defender’s Office, Southern District of Texas, Houston, TX, for Defendantr-Appellant.
Before DAVIS, SMITH, and WIENER, Circuit Judges.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM:
Arturo Lopez-Chavez (Lopez) appeals his guilty-plea conviction and sentence for illegal reentry of a deported alien following an aggravated felony conviction. Lopez argues that the "felony" and "aggravated felony" provisions of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(1) and (b)(2) are unconstitutional.
Lopez's constitutional challenge is foreclosed by Almendarez-Torres v. United States, 523 U.S. 224, 235, 118 S.Ct. 1219, 140 L.Ed.2d 350 (1998). Although Lopez 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). Lopez 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.