United States v. Perez-Huerta

* Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined
that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent
except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR.
R. 47.5.4.
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT
No. 02-40671
Conference Calendar
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
versus
JOSE JUAN PEREZ-HUERTA,
Defendant-Appellant.
--------------------
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Southern District of Texas
USDC No. L-01-CR-1231-ALL
--------------------
February 20, 2003
Before WIENER, EMILIO M. GARZA, and CLEMENT, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:*
Jose Juan Perez-Huerta appeals the 70-month sentence imposed
following his plea of guilty to a charge of being found in the
United States after deportation, a violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326.
He contends that the felony conviction that resulted in his
increased sentence under 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(2) was an element of
the offense that should have been charged in the indictment.
Perez-Huerta acknowledges that his argument is foreclosed by
the Supreme Court’s decision in Almendarez-Torres v. United
States, 523 U.S. 224 (1998), but he seeks to preserve the issue

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No. 02-40671
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for Supreme Court review in light of the decision in Apprendi v.
New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466 (2000).
Apprendi did not overrule Almendarez-Torres. See Apprendi,
530 U.S. at 489-90; United States v. Dabeit, 231 F.3d 979, 984
(5th Cir. 2000). Perez-Huerta’s argument is foreclosed. The
judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED.

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