IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT
No. 00-21005
Conference Calendar
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
versus
RICARDO ZUNIGA-RUIZ,
Defendant-Appellant.
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Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Southern District of Texas
USDC No. H-00-CR-492-1
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August 21, 2001
Before KING, Chief Judge, and POLITZ and PARKER, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:*
Ricardo Zuniga-Ruiz (Zuniga) appeals the 21-month sentence
imposed following his plea of guilty to a charge of being found
in the United States after deportation, a violation of 8 U.S.C.
§ 1326. He contends that the felony conviction that resulted in
his increased sentence under 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(1) was an element
of the offense that should have been charged in the indictment.
Zuniga acknowledges that his argument is foreclosed by the
Supreme Court’s decision in Almendarez-Torres v. United States,
523 U.S. 224 (1998), but he seeks to preserve the issue for
*
Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined
that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent
except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR.
R. 47.5.4.
No. 00-21005
-2-
Supreme Court review in light of the decision in Apprendi v. New
Jersey, 530 U.S. 466 (2000).
Apprendi did not overrule Almendarez-Torres. See Apprendi,
530 U.S. at 489-90; United States v. Dabeit, 231 F.3d 979, 984
(5th Cir. 2000), cert. denied, 121 S. Ct. 1214 (2001). Zuniga’s
argument is foreclosed.
Zuniga also contends that the indictment is fatally
defective, as a matter of constitutional law, for failing to
allege general intent. This contention lacks merit. See United
States v. Berrios-Centeno, 250 F.3d 294, 298-300 (5th Cir. 2001).
The judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED.