Jorge Alberto Santamaria-Cortes, a 47-year-old Mexican national who was living in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to six months in prison for illegally reentering the United States. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Karoline Mehalchick.
Santamaria-Cortes was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 22, 2025, and later pleaded guilty to the charge of illegal reentry. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Santamaria-Cortes returned to the U.S. after being deported in July 2014. He was found again in the country following his arrest on unrelated state charges in Franklin County on October 10, 2025. Those state charges are still pending.
Judge Mehalchick stated that she issued a sentence at the high end of the guideline range due to “Santamaria-Cortes’ repeated instances of illegally reentering the United States and the three drunk driving offenses he committed while he was illegally in the country between 1998 and 2011.” She cited his “lack of respect for the law and the need to deter others from committing similar crimes” as reasons for her decision.
The case was investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), a nationwide initiative led by the Department of Justice that coordinates resources from multiple agencies such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) with goals including combating illegal immigration and dismantling criminal organizations.
After serving his prison term, Santamaria-Cortes will face deportation proceedings.
