The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma has reported that Manuel De Jesus Lira Aguilar, also known as Jesus Lira Aguilar and several other aliases, pleaded guilty to unlawful reentry after removal. The 51-year-old Mexican national was found unlawfully present in Carter County, Oklahoma. He faces a maximum sentence of ten years imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000.
The charge stems from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division along with the Carter County Sheriff’s Office. According to the indictment, Lira Aguilar was discovered in the United States on October 21, 2024, without having obtained permission from the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission after a previous removal.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative aimed at addressing illegal immigration and dismantling criminal organizations involved in transnational crime. The operation consolidates resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Gerald L. Jackson accepted Lira Aguilar’s plea in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma and ordered a presentence investigation report. The final sentencing will be determined by a U.S. District Court Judge based on guidelines and statutory factors.
Until sentencing, Lira Aguilar will remain in custody under the supervision of the United States Marshals Service. The prosecution team included Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dak T. Cohen and Jonathan E. Soverly.
