Case Explained: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. RICARDO VILLANUEVA-MARTINEZ

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit Filed: 2026-08-14 Docket: 1:24-cr-00063-JPB-JEM-1 The eleventh-circuit affirmed the defendant’s 35-month and 2-day sentence for illegal reentry following removal in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a) & (b)(2). The court held that it lacks jurisdiction to review the district court’s discretionary decision to deny a downward departure under U.S.S.G. § 2L1.2, comment. (n.6), because the record indicated the district court understood it possessed the authority to depart but chose not to exercise that discretion. Regarding the defendant’s claim of substantive unreasonableness, the court applied an abuse of discretion standard under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) and the two-step review process established in *United States v. Trailer*. The court determined the district court did not abuse its discretion because it properly considered all relevant sentencing factors, including the defendant’s criminal history and personal circumstances, and imposed a sentence within the advisory guideline range that was well below the statutory maximum. Consequently, the judgment of the district court is affirmed. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.