                                                       United States Court of Appeals
                                                                Fifth Circuit
                                                               F I L E D
               IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                       FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT                  November 9, 2006

                                                            Charles R. Fulbruge III
                                                                    Clerk
                              No. 06-50319
                          Conference Calendar


UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

                                      Plaintiff-Appellee,

versus

VICENTE GOMEZ-VILLEGAS,

                                      Defendant-Appellant.

                         --------------------
            Appeal from the United States District Court
                 for the Western District of Texas
                        USDC No. 3:05-CR-1991
                         --------------------

Before BARKSDALE, DeMOSS, and PRADO, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:*

     Appealing the Judgment in a Criminal Case, Vicente Gomez-

Villegas raises arguments that are foreclosed by Almendarez-

Torres v. United States, 523 U.S. 224, 235 (1998), which held

that 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(2) is a penalty provision 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this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except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.
