A Mexican national, Jose De Jesus Mejia-Fraijo, has pled guilty to charges related to his illegal presence in the United States. The plea was entered on June 9, 2025, in a federal court located in Sioux City, Iowa. Mejia-Fraijo was convicted of being an aggravated felon found unlawfully within U.S. borders after reentering the country.
The case began on March 1, 2025, when officers from the Iowa State Patrol encountered Mejia-Fraijo in Sioux City. He was arrested for driving without a valid license and interfering with official acts following a brief attempt to evade officers on foot. Homeland Security officials confirmed that Mejia-Fraijo is a Mexican citizen who lacked legal permission to be in the United States and had been deported twice before.
Before his most recent removal in 2022, Mejia-Fraijo had been convicted of an aggravated felony offense—specifically conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine—in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa.
