A Mexican national who had previously been deported from the United States was sentenced to more than a year in federal prison after illegally returning to the country.

Jose Fuentes-Garcia, 53, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison by Damon R. Leichty in federal court in South Bend.

According to Adam L. Mildred, Fuentes-Garcia had previously been removed from the United States in July 1998. Authorities later discovered he had reentered the country illegally, leading to a federal charge of reentry of a removed alien, a felony immigration offense.

Fuentes-Garcia pleaded guilty following an investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Mildred noted that Fuentes-Garcia had prior convictions in Oregon for two counts of attempted sexual abuse before his original removal from the United States.

“The system worked when the defendant was previously removed from the country,” Mildred said in a statement. “However, he chose to ignore the law and illegally cross our borders again.”

Federal prosecutors said Fuentes-Garcia will be returned to Mexico after completing his prison sentence.