Case Name: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Mario PENA-LOPEZ, Defendant-Appellant
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 2007-06-19
Citations: 231 F. App'x 372
Docket Number: No. 06-40307
Parties: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Mario PENA-LOPEZ, Defendant-Appellant.
Judges: Before JONES, Chief Judge, and JOLLY and DENNIS, Circuit Judges.
Reporter: West's Federal Appendix
Volume: 231
Pages: 372–373

Head Matter:
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Mario PENA-LOPEZ, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 06-40307
Conference Calendar.
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.
June 19, 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 Publie Defender, Federal Public Defender’s Office Southern District of Texas, Houston, TX, for Defendant-Appellant.
Before JONES, Chief Judge, and JOLLY and DENNIS, Circuit Judges.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM:
Mario Pena-Lopez appeals his guilty-plea conviction and sentence for illegal reentry, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326. Pena-Lopez first argues that the district court erred in assessing a 16-level "crime of violence" enhancement under U.S.S.G. § 2L1.2 based on his prior felony conviction for sexual assault of a child under Tex. Penal Code § 22.011(a)(2). According to Pena-Lopez, such an offense does not constitute a "crime of violence" within the meaning of § 2L1.2(b)(l)(A). As Pena-Lopez concedes, we review this argument for plain error. See United States v. Gracia-Cantu, 302 F.3d 308, 310 (5th Cir. 2002).
The district court committed no error, plain or otherwise. A violation of § 22.011(a)(2) "meet[s] a common-sense as well as a generic, contemporary definition of statutory rape." United States v. Alvarado-Hernandez, 465 F.3d 188, 189-90 (5th Cir.2006). It is thus the equivalent of an enumerated offense that triggers the § 2L1.2 enhancement.
Pena-Lopez also challenges the constitutionality of § 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. His 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 Almendarez-Torres remains binding. See United States v. Garzar-Lopez, 410 F.3d 268, 276 (5th Cir.2005). Pena-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.