Opinion ID: 866985
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: statutory and guidelines provisions

Text: “The clear language in 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a)(2) provides three separate occasions upon which a deported alien may commit [an illegal-reentry] offense: 1) when he illegally enters the United States; 2) when he attempts to illegally enter the United States; or 3) when he is at any time found in the United States.” Santana-Castellano, 74 F.3d at 597; accord United States v. MendezCruz, 329 F.3d 885, 888–89 (D.C. Cir. 2003). Flores was charged under the “found in” prong, which “prohibits deported aliens, who have illegally reentered the United States, from remaining in the country.” Santana-Castellano, 74 F.3d at 597. In Santana-Castellano, we held that a person who violates the “found in” prong commits a continuing offense that begins when he enters this country: Where a deported alien enters the United States and remains here with the knowledge that his entry is illegal, his remaining here until he is “found” is a continuing offense because it is “an unlawful act set on foot by a single impulse and operated by an unintermittent 3 Case: 12-10669 Document: 00512235656 Page: 4 Date Filed: 05/08/2013 No. 12-10669 force,” to use the Supreme Court’s language. See United States v. Midstate Horticultural Co., 306 U.S. 161, 166 (1939). That “force” is the alien’s knowledge that his entry is illegal due to his prior deportation, and his apparent intent to remain in the United States. Id. at 598 (citation altered). We further held that this continuing offense ends only when immigration officials discover the violator’s unlawful presence. Id. A “found in” offense thus is initiated by, but separate from, the act of reentering. See United States v. Tovias-Marroquin, 218 F.3d 455, 457 (5th Cir. 2000) (“A conviction under § 1326 for being ‘found in’ the United States necessarily requires that a defendant commit an act: he must re-enter the United States without permission . . . after being deported.” (citation and internal quotation marks omitted)); accord United States v. Castrillon-Gonzalez, 77 F.3d 403, 406 (11th Cir. 1996). This construction prevents a deported alien from avoiding liability under § 1326 simply by eluding immigration authorities until the limitations period has run as to the act of reentering. Santana-Castellano, 74 F.3d at 598.
Section 4A1.1(d) provides: “Add 2 [criminal history] points if the defendant committed the instant offense while under any criminal justice sentence, including probation, parole, supervised release, imprisonment, work release, or escape status.” This provision applies “if the defendant committed any part of the instant offense (i.e., any relevant conduct) while under any criminal justice sentence.” U.S.S.G. § 4A1.1 cmt. n.4. In Santana-Castellano, we affirmed § 4A1.1(d)’s application to a deported alien who had been found while serving a state prison sentence. 74 F.3d at 598. We reasoned that because his § 1326 offense continued until immigration officials found him, part of it had occurred while he was under a criminal justice sentence. Id. 4 Case: 12-10669 Document: 00512235656 Page: 5 Date Filed: 05/08/2013 No. 12-10669