                                                       United States Court of Appeals
                                                                Fifth Circuit
                                                             F I L E D
               IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                       FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT                  April 20, 2005

                                                          Charles R. Fulbruge III
                                                                  Clerk
                            No. 04-50743
                        Conference Calendar



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
                                    Plaintiff-Appellee,

versus

SAUL MORAN-CORTEZ, also known as Salvador Ramirez-
Cortez, also known as Saul Ramirez-Cortez, also
known as Saul Kiros Aranzamendy, also known as Juan
Mendina, also known as Juan Medina Cortez, also known
as Cesar Quiros, also known as Arturo Peniche,

                                    Defendant-Appellant.

                       --------------------
          Appeal from the United States District Court
                for the Western District of Texas
                     USDC No. 1:04-CR-61-1-LY
                       --------------------

Before SMITH, CLEMENT, and PRADO, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:*

     Appealing the Judgment in a Criminal Case, Saul Moran-Cortez

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




     *
        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that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent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.
                              -2-

summary affirmance is GRANTED, and the judgment of the district

court is AFFIRMED.
