United States v. Reza-Alvares

United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit F I L E D IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT June 21, 2006 Charles R. Fulbruge III Clerk No. 05-41501 Conference Calendar

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, versus ALVARO REZA-ALVARES, Defendant-Appellant.

-------------------- Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas USDC No. 5:05-CR-531-ALL -------------------- Before STEWART, DENNIS, and OWEN, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:* Alvaro Reza-Alvares appeals from his guilty plea conviction for illegal reentry of a deported alien. Reza-Alvares’s constitutional challenge to 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b) is foreclosed by Almendarez-Torres v. United States, 523 U.S. 224, 235 (1998).

Although Reza-Alvares 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, 530 U.S. 466 (2000), we have repeatedly rejected such

No. 05-41501 -2- arguments on the basis that Almendarez-Torres remains binding.

See United States v. Garza-Lopez, 410 F.3d 268, 276 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 126 S. Ct. 298 (2005). Reza-Alvares 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.