A Mexican national living in Kansas City, Missouri, was sentenced in federal court for illegally reentering the United States. Gilberto Javana-Zuniga, 41, received a sentence of one year and one day in federal prison without parole, followed by one year of supervised release. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Steven Bough.
The case began on July 8, 2025, when officers from the North Kansas City Police Department observed Javana-Zuniga searching through trash bins in a business area. When approached by police, he was found to be driving a van that had been reported stolen and provided officers with a false name. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents later identified him as being illegally present in the country after having been removed three times previously—once in 2011 and twice in 2013.
Javana-Zuniga had a prior conviction for misdemeanor battery in 2011 and faced six pending cases related to theft, driving under the influence, driving without a license, and displaying license plates belonging to another vehicle.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Mahoney prosecuted the case following an investigation conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations.
According to the Department of Justice, this prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America. The initiative aims to use all available resources to address illegal immigration, dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect communities from violent crime.
