Coronel Zarate pleads guilty
Alejandro Jose Coronel Zarate, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of child abuse to intentionally cause harm and one count of strangulation and suffocation. Charges for second-degree sexual assault, disorderly conduct and two counts of battery were dismissed.
Crawford County Circuit Judge Lukas Steiner sentenced Coronel Zarate to two years in prison and three years of extended supervision a
Steiner gave Coronel Zarate 342 days sentence credit based on the recommendation of the district attorney. Both charges carried a maximum sentence of six years and $10,000 in fines.
Coronel Zarate also has a no-contact order for his victims.
Steiner said that a prison term is a “necessary and appropriate response.”
“Society deserves for you to be segregated, and prison is how we do that,” he said to Coronel Zarate.
“Not only are these crimes serious on their face, but when we talk about the character of the defendant, it was especially troubling to me to read some of the statements made outlined in the criminal complaint,” said Crawford County District Attorney Andrew Burdick. “This is a situation where the defendant came into another person’s home and did violence to a mother and her daughter. “I think this recommendation does protect the public in that it ensures my number one goal in this case, which is that the defendant will not be able to set foot in Prairie du Chien again.”
Through his interpreter, Coronel Zarate expressed contrition for his actions and requested mercy from the court.
Jail time from the Crawford County charges will be served concurrently with each other, but they will be served consecutively with his sentence in Dane County.
“As a general matter, I am of the opinion that distinct offenses should be met with distinct responses,” said Steiner.
Coronel Zarate pleaded guilty April 17 to one count of false imprisonment and one count of disorderly conduct in a separate case. Additional charges of suffocation and strangulation and battery were dismissed by the prosecutor’s motion. He is currently serving one year in prison and two years of extended supervision.
Prairie du Chien police arrested Coronel Zarate Sept. 5 while responding to a disturbance on East Wells Street. Two people, including one juvenile, were injured during the incident, according to the criminal complaint.
After his arrest, Coronel Zarate was held in Crawford County on a detainer by the federal Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Police said he provided illegitimate identification documents, including a Social Security card, during his arrest.
According to police, Coronel Zarate entered the country through El Paso, Texas, in September 2023.
Coronel Zarate’s attorney noted that he will serve his sentence in a maximum security facility due to the ICE detainer.
Burdick and Steiner both said deportation is a likely outcome due to his immigration status and the violent nature of his crimes, but the DA maintained that consequences are still necessary.
“I considered those facts as far as the necessary length of confinement, but in consultation with law enforcement and the victim’s wishes, I believe that prison is needed to deter this kind of conduct and hold this man accountable,” said Burdick.
“While I have been aware of the ICE detainer placed on Mr. Zarate at the time of his arrest, whether that might lead to removal proceedings is not in my purview or control,” said Steiner. “While the state suggested it may be likely, it is nevertheless, in some regard, uncertain.”
Steiner said he did not consider the possibility of his deportation when delivering the sentence.
Burdick added that Coronel Zarate will not be eligible for any programs that reduce his prison term.
The case made national headlines due to Coronel Zarate’s suspected ties to a transnational gang called Tren de Aragua. U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R–Prairie du Chien) and President Donald Trump commented on the case during a discussion about national open border policies during a campaign event.
Later the same month, Trump visited Prairie du Chien during his election campaign, where he focused on his immigration and crime policies.
“Although there has been a lot of conversation about the defendant’s status in an international gang, no evidence has been presented to me corroborating that fact within the year — almost one year — we have been litigating,” said Burdick. “As I am bound by the law and the evidence, I did not assign a lot of weight to that discussion.”
In a police press release, Police Chief Kyle Teynor said correspondence between an FBI investigator and police last September, as well as victim testimony, confirmed Coronel Zarate is “affiliated in some way” with the Tren de Aragua and has a history of violent and drug-related crimes in South America.
Teynor supported the work done by law enforcement investigators, saying police invested “extensive hours” into gathering facts for the case.
“I believe the investigators with the Prairie du Chien Police Department who put countless hours into this case,” he said. “I also believe the 2024 conclusions by ICE and the FBI. Most importantly, I believe the victims in this case.”
