Southern District of Florida

Jul 25, 2023

MIAMI – Rubio Ruben Sales aka Ruben Mendez-Sales, a Guatemalan national, has been sentenced to 70 months in prison for illegally re-entering the United States after deportation or removal.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents became aware of Sales as a result of his March 1, 2018, arrest for five counts of sexual battery on a victim 12-17 years of age. ICE agents placed a detainer on Sales. After Sales was sentenced to 35.5 years in state prison for the sexual battery offenses, he was brought to federal court to face charges for illegally re-entering the United States after having been previously deported in October 2012. In addition to the sexual battery convictions, Sales has prior convictions for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and felony death by vehicle.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), announced the sentence imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth A. Marra.

ICE ERO investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rinku Tribuiani prosecuted it.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-80204.

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Public Affairs Unit

U.S. Attorney’s Office

Southern District of Florida

[email protected]