United States v. Zavala-Garcia

Case: 25-10895 Document: 44-1 Page: 1 Date Filed: 01/14/2026

United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ____________ United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit

No. 25-10895 FILED January 14, 2026 Summary Calendar ____________ Lyle W. Cayce Clerk United States of America, Plaintiff—Appellee, versus Joel Zavala-Garcia, Defendant—Appellant. ______________________________ Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas USDC No. 4:25-CR-61-1 ______________________________ Before Higginbotham, Engelhardt, and Ramirez, Circuit Judges.

Per Curiam:* Joel Zavala-Garcia appeals following his conviction and sentence under 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a) for illegal reentry into the United States after deportation, arguing that the statutory sentencing enhancement in § 1326(b) is unconstitutional. Zavala-Garcia concedes that his argument is foreclosed by Almendarez-Torres v. United States, 523 U.S. 224 (1998), and seeks to _____________________ * This opinion is not designated for publication. See 5th Cir. R. 47.5.

Case: 25-10895 Document: 44-1 Page: 2 Date Filed: 01/14/2026

No. 25-10895 preserve it for possible Supreme Court review. The Government has filed an unopposed motion for summary affirmance or, alternatively, for an extension of time to file its brief.

As he concedes, Zavala-Garcia’s argument is foreclosed. See United States v. Pervis, 937 F.3d 546, 553-54 (5th Cir. 2019); see also Erlinger v. United States, 602 U.S. 821, 838 (2024) (explaining that Almendarez-Torres “persists as a narrow exception permitting judges to find only the fact of a prior conviction” (internal quotation marks and citation omitted)). Summary affirmance is thus appropriate. Groendyke Transp., Inc. v. Davis, 406 F.2d 1158, 1162 (5th Cir. 1969).

Accordingly, the motion for summary affirmance is GRANTED, the alternative motion for an extension of time is DENIED, and the judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED.