A Mexican national, who had been working illegally in Highland, was sentenced in federal court to two and a half years in prison for illegal re-entry into the United States, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Wigginton.

In August, Jose Manuel Palominos-Moreno pled guilty to being an alien found voluntarily in Southern Illinois without the permission of the Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General of the United States after having been removed from the United States previously.

Palominos had previously been removed seven times from the United States. In addition to the prison sentence, Palominos will serve three years of supervised release. Palominos will again face removal proceedings following his prison sentence.

The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the Highland Police Department.