Case Name: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Lazaro RAMIREZ-CASTRO, Defendant-Appellant
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 2007-04-13
Citations: 224 F. App'x 425
Docket Number: No. 06-41306
Parties: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Lazaro RAMIREZ-CASTRO, Defendant-Appellant.
Judges: Before REAVLEY, WIENER and DENNIS, Circuit Judges.
Reporter: West's Federal Appendix
Volume: 224
Pages: 425–426

Head Matter:
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Lazaro RAMIREZ-CASTRO, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 06-41306
Summary Calendar.
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.
April 13, 2007.
James Lee Turner, Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern Dis trict of Texas, Houston, TX, for PlaintiffAppellee.
Marjorie A. Meyers, Federal Public Defender, Federal Public Defender’s Office, Southern District of Texas, Houston, TX, for Defendant-Appellant.
Before REAVLEY, WIENER and DENNIS, Circuit Judges.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM:
Lazaro Ramirez-Castro was convicted after pleading guilty to illegal reentry following a prior deportation after a conviction of an aggravated felony. He now appeals that conviction and his 46-month sentence.
Ramirez-Castro argues that his previous Florida conviction of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon is not a crime of violence because it is not an offense enumerated under U.S.S.G. § 2L1.2 comment. n.l(B)(iii) and it does not have as an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the person of another. Ramirez-Castro's conviction for aggravated battery using a deadly weapon under Fla. Stat. Ann. § 784.045 (1) (a) (2) "has as an element at least a threatened use of force" and thus was properly characterized by the district court as a crime of violence. See United States v. Dominguez, 479 F.3d 345, 346-50 (5th Cir.2007).
Ramirez-Castro also challenges the constitutionality of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)'s treatment of prior felony and aggravated felony convictions as sentencing factors rather than elements of the offense that must be found by a jury. Ramirez-Castro'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 he 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 AlmendarezTorres 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). Ramirez-Castro 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.