WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, Ohio (WCMH) – A Mexican national citizen, previously convicted of felony drug charges in the United States, was arrested Thursday by federal agents in Fayette County.
According to the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, federal agents arrested 34-year-old Pedro Marquez, of Bloomingburg, which is north of Washington Court House.
Marquez, who was initially deported from the United States in 2009, is charged with illegally reentering the country after being convicted of an aggravated felony. Two years later, Marquez was convicted of participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy and illegally reentering the United States.
Convicted of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine in 2011, Marquez was sentenced to federal prison. Five years later, he was again removed from the country.
On Thursday, investigators observed Marquez exit a home in Bloomingburg and was arrested for violating U.S. immigration laws. He told Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers his true name is Alex Ravis Vasquez but has previously used Pedro Marquez and Peter Marquez during prior immigration and criminal encounters.
If convicted, Marquez faces a possible prison sentence of up to 20 years along with his subsequent deportation.