United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit F I L E D IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT December 14, 2005

Charles R. Fulbruge III Clerk No. 05-40288 Conference Calendar

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff-Appellee,

versus

EDGAR RICARDO SANCHEZ-FLORES, also known as Julio Diego-Flores,

Defendant-Appellant.

-------------------- Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas USDC No. 7:04-CR-318-ALL --------------------

Before KING, Chief Judge, and HIGGINBOTHAM and SMITH, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:*

Edgar Ricardo Sanchez-Flores appeals his conviction for

illegal reentry by an alien after deportation. Sanchez’s

constitutional challenge to

(b) is foreclosed by

Almendarez-Torres v. United States,

(1998).

Although Sanchez contends that Almendarez-Torres was incorrectly

decided and that a majority of the Supreme Court would overrule

Almendarez-Torres in light of Apprendi v. New Jersey,

(2000), we have repeatedly rejected such arguments on the

* 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 R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR.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. No. 05-40288 -2-

basis that Almendarez-Torres remains binding. See United States

v. Garza-Lopez,

(5th Cir.), cert. denied,

(2005). Sanchez properly concedes that his argument

is foreclosed in light of Almendarez-Torres and circuit

precedent, but he raises it here to preserve it for further

review.

AFFIRMED.