Case Explained: Non-Argument Calendar UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. CARLOS RAFAEL TELLO CEDENO

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit Filed: 2026-06-05 Docket: 8:16-cr-00518-WFJ-TGW-1 The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the district court’s denial of Carlos Rafael Tello Cedeno’s motion under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2) to reduce his sentence based on Amendment 821 to the sentencing guidelines. The court applied the abuse of discretion standard, reviewing whether the district court utilized an incorrect legal standard or made clearly erroneous factual findings during the two-step inquiry required by *Dillon v. United States*. First, the court confirmed the district court correctly calculated Cedeno’s amended advisory guideline range from 168–210 months to 135–168 months by applying the retroactive zero-point offender reduction under U.S.S.G. § 4C1.1. Second, regarding the discretionary determination of whether a reduction was warranted under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) factors, the court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion by considering Cedeno’s obstructive conduct—specifically fleeing Coast Guard pursuit and jettisoning nearly a ton of cocaine—as relevant to the nature and circumstances of the offense. The appellate court further ruled that the district court was not required to weigh Cedeno’s post-sentencing rehabilitation or difficult upbringing, as the weight accorded to § 3553(a) factors is committed to the sound discretion of the sentencing court. Consequently, Cedeno’s sentence remains unchanged at 168 months of imprisonment. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.