2 Mexican nationals plead guilty to illegally entering US after being deported

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Two men have pleaded guilty to illegally re-entering the U.S. after being deported multiple times.

Alejandro Mejia Rios, 45, faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Cesar Santana Salazar, 43, faces a maximum sentence of two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Both men will be deported after serving their sentences, the U.S. Attorney’s Office says.

Rios, who used the aliases Rigoberto Bonilla-Mejia and Juan Carlos Espinoza-Bonilla, was living in North Charleston with illegal status. Salazar, who used the alias Miguel Santana-Hernandez, was living in Florida with illegal status.

Both men are Mexican citizens.

Evidence during the guilty plea showed that Rios has been deported six times from 2006 to 2019. He