United States Court of Appeals
Fifth Circuit
F I L E D
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT December 17, 2004
Charles R. Fulbruge III
Clerk
No. 04-40538
Conference Calendar
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
versus
SAMIR LOPEZ-CRUZ,
Defendant-Appellant.
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Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Southern District of Texas
USDC No. 1:03-CR-896-ALL
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Before KING, Chief Judge, and DeMOSS and CLEMENT, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:*
Appealing the Judgment in a Criminal Case, Samir Lopez-Cruz
raises arguments that are foreclosed by Almendarez-Torres v.
United States, 523 U.S. 224, 235 (1998), which held that a prior
conviction is a sentencing factor under 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(2) and
not a separate criminal offense. The Government’s motion for
summary affirmance is GRANTED, and the judgment of the district
court is AFFIRMED.
*
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this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except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.