Southern District of Texas
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Illegal alien admits to role in failed human smuggling attempt resulting in deathRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 39-year-old Mexican national has pleaded guilty to harboring 32 illegal aliens in a stash house under dangerous conditions that resulted in one death, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Cruz Alberto de la Garza admitted he conspired with others to harbor illegal aliens at a stash house in Laredo and assisted in transporting them.
The investigation began Oct. 15, 2025, after two illegal aliens had been dropped off at an emergency room. One was pronounced deceased upon arrival. The medical examiner’s report identified one cause of death as environment exposure with heat effects.
Later that day, law enforcement encountered a tractor-trailer at a Border Patrol checkpoint in Cotulla and discovered 30 illegal aliens crammed into the trailer’s sleeper compartment.
The investigation revealed all had been housed in a white trailer on a ranch-style property used as a stash house. The trailer had extreme heat with little to no air conditioning, limited food and water and inadequate ventilation. There was no access to a toilet, and the aliens were forced to use a bucket. No one was permitted to leave.
De la Garza had instructed the aliens to get into the tractor trailer and initially drove them before parking and exiting the vehicle.
Sentencing is set for Sept. 1, before U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo. At that time, de la Garza faces up to life in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tae W. Chon is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Acting U.S. Attorney Marck appointed to Attorney General’s Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche recently appointed Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck to serve on a select and prestigious body of U.S. Attorneys that advises Department of Justice leadership on national law enforcement priorities.
Marck’s appointment to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys reflects both his leadership in one of the largest districts in the nation and the important role the Southern District of Texas plays in confronting emerging threats to public safety and national security.
The AGAC was created in 1973 and is designed to ensure broad geographic, operational and subject-matter representation and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys on matters of policy, procedure and management impacting offices throughout the nation.
Members work through subcommittees and working groups on issues including violent crime, national security, fraud, narcoterrorism and other critical priorities. The AGAC plays a central role in ensuring that the experience of federal prosecutors in the field informs on national Department of Justice strategy.
“It is an immense honor to be appointed to the AGAC, and I am deeply grateful to Acting Attorney General Blanche for his confidence and trust in me,” said Marck. “The Southern District of Texas is home to some of the most dedicated federal, state and local law enforcement officers in the country, and I am proud to carry their work and their mission into this important forum.”
Marck and other AGAC members met with Blanche and other DOJ leadership in May and will hold the first substantive meeting later this month.
Marck will serve alongside U.S. Attorney Dan Bishop (Middle District of North Carolina), U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros (Northern District of Illinois), U.S. Attorney Scott Bradford (District of Oregon), Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine Crosby (Northern District of Alabama), U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine (District of Arizona), U.S. Attorney Michael Dunavant (Western District of Tennessee), First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison (District of New Mexico), First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bilal Essayli (Central District of California), U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon (Southern District of California), U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon (Eastern District of Michigan), U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly (District of Colorado), U.S. Attorney David Metcalf (Eastern District of Pennsylvania), U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro (District of Columbia), U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones (Southern District of Florida) and U.S. Attorney Lesley Woods (District of Nebraska).
As Acting U.S. Attorney, Marck is the chief federal law enforcement officer in the Southern District of Texas, responsible for prosecuting and defending the interests of the United States in one of the largest and busiest districts in the nation.
Before being appointed Acting U.S. Attorney, Marck served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney, overseeing the Criminal, Civil and Appellate Divisions. Prior to that, he was in the National Security and Public Corruption Section where he served as Associate Deputy Criminal Chief, supervising a team of Assistant U.S. Attorneys, intelligence officers and support staff in prosecuting complex national security, counterintelligence and cybercrime cases.
Marck began his federal career as an AUSA in the Corpus Christi and Victoria Divisions of the Southern District of Texas, where he managed a diverse criminal docket that included charges of illegal reentry, alien smuggling, drug trafficking and other cartel-related offenses.
Prior to joining the SDTX, Marck was an Assistant District Attorney in New York City, serving in both the Brooklyn and Bronx District Attorney’s offices. As an ADA, Marck prosecuted a high-volume caseload of major felonies, including murder, manslaughter, robbery and gang assault.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties, more than 10 million people, covers 44,000 square miles and comprises seven U.S. District Court divisions. Headquartered in Houston, SDTX has branch offices in Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo.
Porter woman admits to fraud, threats and assault after fraudulently receiving $435,000 new homeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 56-year-old local resident has pleaded guilty to wire fraud, fraud in connection with a major disaster, threatening to kill a witness and assaulting/impeding a law enforcement officer, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
From 2019 through 2024, Sharai Poteet engaged in a scheme to fraudulently obtain disaster-relief housing assistance and additional federal benefits. During the investigation, she also threatened to kill a witness and assaulted a federal officer.
Poteet submitted fraudulent loan applications claiming 11 people – including seven children and a disabled adult - were members of her household. As a result of the false claims, Poteet received assistance in the form of a custom seven-bedroom home.
The funds used to construct the home were intended to help Hurricane Harvey victims through a Department of Housing and Urban Development program. The home Poteet received was the largest the program had built at that time.
The investigation revealed Poteet submitted three fraudulent applications for disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for storms that occurred between 2021 and 2024. During the investigation, she threatened a whistleblower in an attempt to silence them.
Poteet also assaulted a federal agent while attempting to flee during an operation intended to seize her cell phone.
“Sharai Poteet exploited programs intended to assist vulnerable hurricane victims and used those funds for her own personal enrichment,” said Marck. “When individuals steal taxpayer-funded resources meant to help those in need, they are not just committing fraud – they are undermining the systems that keep families safe and communities stable.”
“The taxpayer has no tolerance for those who steal from federal public aid – the sole goal of which is to help victims rebuild and move forward with their lives.” said Robert Lawler, HUD Office of Inspector General’s Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Investigations. “We will continue to work with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office to aggressively pursue fraudsters who steal disaster grant funds to enrich themselves.”
U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt accepted the plea and has set sentencing for Sept. 21. At that time, Poteet faces up to 30 years in federal prison and a possible $1 million maximum fine.
She was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
HUD-OIG conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Shalimar Addy is prosecuting the case.
The Department of Justice has created the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse within federal benefit programs.
Clemency recipient receives lengthy sentence for new drug trafficking offenseRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 53-year-old Laredo resident has been ordered to federal prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to do so, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Pio Alejandro Campos pleaded guilty Jan. 12.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña has now ordered Campos to serve 262 months in federal prison. The court also found Campos had violated the terms of his supervised release from a previous federal drug trafficking crime by committing this offense and sentenced him to an additional term of 12 months to be served consecutively. The total 274-month term of imprisonment will be immediately followed by another eight years of supervised release. The court also assessed a $14,000 money judgement.
At the hearing, the court heard evidence that described his multiple convictions in various jurisdictions. In handing down the sentence, Judge Saldaña noted Campos had engaged in a continuing pattern of criminal activity that dated back to 2008, which included federal convictions involving cocaine or heroin in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Northern District of Illinois and Southern District of Ohio and was ordered to serve approximately 250 total months in prison. In each case, he committed a new crime while on supervised release. After his most recent federal conviction, he was granted executive clemency in December 2024 and was on supervised release for that crime when he committed this cocaine trafficking offense in the Southern District of Texas.
In August 2024, while at a halfway house completing his sentence for heroin trafficking, Campos engaged in a series of cell phone and WhatsApp communications involving the potential sale of cocaine. During the course of the undercover operation, he sought to meet in person to discuss specifics rather than communicating via phone.
Following his release from custody upon his clemency approval, he continued to maintain communications, agreed to supply cocaine and discussed pricing based on delivery location which included San Antonio and Houston as well as New Orleans, Louisiana. On May 3, 2025, he delivered one kilogram of cocaine in San Antonio for $14,000.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Lou Castillo prosecuted the case.
Memorial Day weekend shooting part of 250 new cases filed in ongoing border security effortsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of 259 individuals have been charged in immigration and related crimes from May 22-28 as part of Operation Take Back America, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
The Southern District of Texas has filed cases against 160 illegal aliens for unlawfully reentering the United States and another 69 for illegal entry. Many have previous convictions related to narcotics trafficking, immigration offenses, violent crimes and more. An additional 28 people face charges of engaging in human smuggling, while the remaining matters relate to other immigration crimes and firearms charges.
Among those is an illegal alien from Mexico who allegedly fired an AR-style rifle at multiple individuals in New Caney over the holiday weekend. The charges allege Juan Ayala-Montero retrieved the rifle from his residence and fired multiple rounds toward a group of individuals, striking one victim in the torso and head. Authorities allegedly recovered an Olympic Arms .223 AR-Style rifle and approximately 30 spent shell casings at the scene. The charges further allege Ayala-Montero had been previously removed from the United States and was unlawfully present in the country. If convicted of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, Ayala-Montero faces up to 15 years in federal prison.
Criminal complaints also allege two illegal aliens unlawfully reentered the country without authorization. One is Marcos Ismael Escobar-Sosa, a Cuban national found near Mission, according to the charges. He allegedly has a prior conviction for felony credit card abuse and was most recently removed Feb. 6.
Authorities also allegedly found a Mexican illegal alien near Donna this week. Gustavo Arroyo-Anaya has a conviction for burglary and was sentenced to two years in prison before his removal in 2025, according to the complaint.
Both men could receive up to 20 years in federal prison, upon conviction.
In addition to the new cases, Leonardo Cordona-Hernandez, an illegal alien from Mexico, received a 72-month federal prison sentence for illegally reentering the country again. He was first ordered removed in 2011, but law enforcement later discovered him in Houston in February 2024 with no authorization to be in the United States. Cordona-Hernandez has prior felony convictions for robbery, drug trafficking and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
The cases are referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than 10 million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Illegal reentry into US lands convicted felon in federal prisonRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 33-year-old illegal alien from Mexico has been sentenced for unlawfully reentering the country again, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Leonardo Cordona-Hernandez illegally resided in Houston and pleaded guilty Dec. 9, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge has now ordered Cordona-Hernandez to serve 72 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about his criminal history while illegally present in the United States.
Cordona-Hernandez has prior felony convictions for robbery or attempted robbery with dangerous weapon, conspiracy to traffic in a controlled dangerous substance, possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of a firearm by felon and driving while intoxicated.
Authorities first removed Cordona-Hernandez from the United States in October 2011, and he repeatedly returned illegally. On Feb. 14, 2024, law enforcement discovered him again in Houston with no authorization to be in the United States.
Cordona-Hernandez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Hostetter prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Houston-area resident sentenced to 10 years for stock investment Ponzi schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 41-year-old Mont Belvieu man has been ordered to federal prison for wire fraud in connection with a Ponzi-style investment scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Carl Channing Spence pleaded guilty Jan. 30.
U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal has now ordered Spence to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard from three of Spence’s 19 known victims who detailed the devastating effects Spence’s scheme had on their lives and financial futures. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the unusually predatory nature of Spence’s actions and that he seemed to specifically target friends, colleagues and community members who he knew to be particularly vulnerable to his scheme.
From January 2022 through August 2023, Spence operated “AEI Financial” from his residence. He solicited friends, acquaintances and colleagues by promising high returns through stock trading specializing in “meme stocks.” Spence promised victims 10 to 12 percent returns by investing in popular stocks during a period of rapid stock market gains. Instead, he diverted funds for personal use and to make purported returns to earlier investors.
Once victims provided funds, Spence created fraudulent account statements that falsely showed investment growth and returns which he used to persuade victims to reinvest. In reality, he commingled investor funds into a single account and lost much of the money through unsuccessful trades.
The scheme resulted in numerous victims who received fraudulent account statements but never recovered their original investments or promised returns. Spence took in approximately $2.1 million from the known victims.
FBI conducted the investigation with assistance from Mont Belvieu Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Carter and Brad Gray prosecuted the case.
Felon convicted for selling dozens of firearms and hundreds of ammunition roundsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 45-year-old Houston man has been found guilty after accepting cash as payment for firearms and machine gun conversion devices, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt has now imposed the guilty verdicts against Jonathan Chimney following a three-day trial that concluded May 7. He was convicted of engaging in a firearms business without a license, two counts each of being a felon in possession of a firearm and failure to register a firearm.
From Feb. 10 through July 27, 2022, Chimney and James Price sold firearms to authorities during an undercover operation.
At trial, the court heard the two engaged in eight firearms transactions, selling a total of 66 firearms and 887 rounds of ammunition for approximately $41,000. During the final transaction, the pair agreed to accept cash as payment along with two kilograms of meth. The investigation revealed Chimney and Price intended to sell the drugs for a profit.
Judge Hoyt also saw recordings of each transaction during the trial.
Testimony showed Chimney sold two pistols equipped with machine gun conversion devices, commonly known as switches which convert semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic machine guns. Switches are classified as machine guns and require registration with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
Evidence revealed Chimney did not possess the required license to deal firearms nor did he register the switches as federal law requires.
Chimney also has a prior federal felony conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. As such, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Further information also indicated he conducted these sales in multiple apartments, at least one of which had surveillance cameras monitored via TV. Young children were also in the residence which contained multiple firearms and drugs along with several pit bulls.
The defense attempted to convince the court that Chimney sold the firearms out of apartments that were not leased to him. However, there was no evidence regarding who was the listed leaseholder of the residences. Judge Hoyt did not believe the claims and found Chimney guilty.
Sentencing has been set for Sept. 8. With the exception of engaging in a firearms business without a license which carries a five-year possible sentence, Chimney faces up to 10 years in federal prison on the remaining convictions and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Price, 55, Houston, previously pleaded guilty and is pending sentencing. Four others have also been convicted for related firearms offenses as part of the investigation and sentenced to terms ranging from 24-57 months.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Keri Fuller and Anh-Khoa Tran are prosecuting the case.
Alleged active-shooter illegal alien in Kings Colony confrontation facing federal chargesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 60-year-old illegal alien from Mexico living in New Caney who is accused of firing an AR-style rifle at multiple individuals over the holiday weekend is now facing federal charges of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Juan Ayala-Montero is currently in custody on a related charge and is expected to make his appearance in federal court in the near future.
The investigation began following an active shooter incident May 23, according to the federal criminal complaint.
Ayala-Montero had allegedly been making threats after an argument ensued with a group of individuals. The charges allege Ayala-Montero walked to his house and returned with a rifle. He initially began shooting at the ground but then directed it at a group of individuals and began firing multiple times, according to the allegations.
One victim allegedly suffered gunshot wounds to his torso and head.
Upon their arrival, authorities heard gunshots coming from the residence and began rescuing individuals, according to the complaint. Additional law enforcement arrived on scene, and thereafter, took Ayala-Montero into custody.
Authorities allegedly recovered an Olympic Arms .223 AR-style rifle with a scope in Ayala-Montero’s bedroom as well as approximately 30 spent .223 casings at the scene.
The charges allege Ayala-Montero is not lawfully present in the United States and had been removed in 2006 with no legal authority to reenter the country. As such, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition per federal law.
If convicted, Ayala-Montero faces up to 15 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation with assistance of FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anh-Khoa Tran is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Out of state trucker among 273 charged as part of newest Operation Take Back America actionsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – The Southern District of Texas has filed another 271 cases involving immigration and border security-related crimes from May 15-21, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
A total of 249 illegal aliens are charged with unlawfully being in the United States - 67 and 182 for illegal entry and reentry, respectively. Most have previous convictions related to narcotics, immigration offenses, violent crimes and more. The cases also include 19 people allegedly involved in human smuggling, while the remaining matters relate to other immigration crimes.
One such case involves an out of state truck driver arrested in a failed human smuggling attempt of 42 illegal aliens in a hot, locked trailer. The charges allege that on May 16, Juan Nasario-Reyes arrived at a checkpoint and claimed his vehicle was empty, but a K-9 alerted, and law enforcement ultimately discovered four illegal aliens concealed inside the cab with 38 more in the trailer. It had been latched shut from the outside with a temperature inside of approximately 92.5 degrees, according to the complaint. A total of 13 of the illegal aliens are also facing either illegal entry or reentry charges, while the remaining are expected to be immediately removed from the country.
Three more complaints involve illegal aliens from Mexico who were allegedly found unlawfully in the United States. One - Santos Rivera-Garcia - has a significant prior conviction for felony illegal reentry and was ordered to serve 63 months in federal prison in 2022 and removed April 24 of this year, according to the complaint. However, the charges allege authorities discovered him near Mission less than a month after that removal. Two other cases allege law enforcement discovered Faustino Soto and Genaro Perez-Alonso near Escobares and Mission, respectively. Both allegedly have prior narcotics convictions and had been sentenced to at least 10 years in prison prior to their removals from the country. With no authorization to be in the United States, all could face up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted.
Also announced this week were the guilty verdicts in two trials against illegal aliens unlawfully in the United States.
A Houston federal jury deliberated for less than 30 minutes before convicting Mexican national Eduardo Aguilera-Gallardo – an illegal alien who claimed he was kidnapped and forced to return to the United States. Testimony revealed that authorities found him in Houston after a deportation officer had previously escorted him across the international boundary in Laredo following his removal order. The jury heard that neither Aguilera-Gallardo nor his family sought assistance from law enforcement in either country and never reported the alleged kidnapping to authorities once in the United States.
In Corpus Christi, a federal jury took less than 10 minutes to convict Jose Leandro Juarez-Rivas, an illegal alien from Mexico. Authorities had identified him on a commercial bus Feb. 18 with no legal authorization to be in the country. The defense attempted to convince the jury Juarez-Rivas did not know he was ordered removed from the United States or that he was not allowed to reenter the country. The jury rejected those claims and found him guilty as charged.
In another Houston case, Jose Angel Martinez Menjivar, an illegal alien sex offender from El Salvador, was ordered to federal prison for 40 months for unlawfully reentering the country without authorization. He has previous convictions for illegal reentry and indecent assault by touching and was first removed in 2022. However, authorities discovered him again in Houston July 9, 2025, with no authorization to be in the United States.
The cases are referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than 10 million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Former contractor sent to federal prison for hacking employer’s network in retaliation for terminationRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 36-year-old Ohio man has been sentenced for computer fraud after causing more than $860,000 in losses, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Maxwell Schultz, Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty Nov. 18, 2025.
Senior U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal has now ordered him to serve 24 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard about the damage and sophistication of the attack and how Schultz used another employee’s account to mask his intrusion which led to the investigation of that account initially. In handing down the sentence, Judge Rosenthal noted this is not the appropriate reaction to being fired. Schultz was also ordered to pay $862,516.74 in restitution.
On May 14, 2021, Schultz was terminated from his position as a contract employee in his company’s information technology department. Shortly after, he accessed the company’s network by impersonating another contractor to obtain login credentials.
He ran a PowerShell script that reset approximately 2,500 passwords, locking thousands of employees and contractors out of their computers nationwide. Schultz also searched for ways to delete logs, PowerShell window events and cleared multiple system logs.
The attack to the company’s system caused more than $862,000 in losses, including employee downtime, customer-service disruptions and labor needed to restore the network.
As part of his plea, Schultz admitted to conducting the attack because he was upset about being fired.
He was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rodolfo Ramirez and Michael Chu are prosecuting the case.
Cuban national extradited from Panama to face sex trafficking, extortion, cyberstalking and other charges in Homeland Security Task Force investigationRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 41-year-old man is set to make his initial appearance in Houston federal court on multiple charges for allegedly using threats, violence and other coercive means to compel four Cuban nationals to engage in commercial sex acts for his financial gain.
Michel Cedeno-Castillo was extradited from Panama May 20 and is now expected to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina A. Bryan in Houston at 10 a.m.
A federal grand jury returned the 14-count indictment May 13, which was unsealed upon his arrest.
According to court documents, Cedeno-Castillo used false promises of lucrative employment in the United States to entice four victims to travel from Cuba to Texas. After the victims arrived in the United States, Cedeno-Castillo allegedly transported them within the Southern District of Texas knowing and in reckless disregard of the fact that they had entered the United States in violation of the law. The indictment alleges he then used threats of violence, physical abuse and other coercive means to compel the victims to engage in commercial sex acts for his monetary benefit.
“Cedeno-Castillo allegedly lured women with lies and forced them into prostitution,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck for the Southern District of Texas. “Any human trafficker who tries to flee the United States should know that we will work with our international partners, pursue every legal avenue, and wait as long as it takes to bring them to justice. The Southern District of Texas does not give up.”
“The defendant has been indicted for luring vulnerable women from Cuba to the United States with promises of financial stability only to force them to have sex with men for money for his monetary gain,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Michel Cedeno-Castillo will now face these human trafficking charges. No matter where it originates, the Criminal Division will pursue sex traffickers who target and exploit vulnerable victims.”
“The successful apprehension and extradition of this alleged sex trafficker sends a powerful message of deterrence to transnational criminal organizations across the globe that are involved in human trafficking,” said Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations - Houston. “HSI and our Homeland Security Task Force partners are committed to eradicate this modern-day form of slavery from society and will bring every resource we have to bear to track you down and hold you to account for your alleged crimes.”
Cedeno-Castillo is charged with sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; importing an alien for immoral purposes; conspiracy to transport an alien in the United States for financial gain; transporting for purposes of prostitution; extortion; and cyberstalking.
If convicted, he faces up to life in federal prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ekua Assabill is prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney Leah Branch from the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section.
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Government of Panama to secure the arrest and extradition from Panama of Cedeno-Castillo.
The investigation and charges are a result of coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha, a partnership with Department of Homeland Security which has been elevated and expanded with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, Districts of Arizona and New Mexico and Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Office of Enforcement Operations and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and other partners.
To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 455 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 400 U.S. convictions; more than 345 significant jail sentences imposed and forfeitures of substantial assets.
This investigation is also part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Houston comprises agents and officers from ICE HSI; FBI; DEA; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation; IRS Criminal Investigation; Interpol/Department of State; and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas leading the prosecution.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Cuban National Extradited from Panama to Face Sex Trafficking, Extortion, Cyberstalking, and Other Charges in Homeland Security Task Force InvestigationRead the Press Release
A 41-year-old citizen of Cuba living in the Southern District of Texas, is set to make his initial appearance in Houston on multiple charges for allegedly using threats, violence, and other coercive means to compel four Cuban nationals to engage in commercial sex acts for his financial gain.
According to court documents, Michel Cedeno-Castillo used false promises of lucrative employment in the United States to entice four victims to travel from Cuba to Texas. After the victims arrived in the United States, Cedeno-Castillo allegedly transported the victims within the Southern District of Texas knowing and in reckless disregard of the fact that they had entered the United States in violation of the law. He then allegedly used threats of violence, physical abuse, and other coercive means to compel the victims to engage in commercial sex acts for his monetary benefit.
“The defendant has been indicted for luring vulnerable women from Cuba to the United States with promises of financial stability only to force them to have sex with men for money for his monetary gain,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Michel Cedeno-Castillo will now face these human trafficking charges. No matter where it originates, the Criminal Division will pursue sex traffickers who target and exploit vulnerable victims.”
“Cedeno-Castillo allegedly lured women with lies and forced them into prostitution,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck for the Southern District of Texas. “Any human trafficker who tries to flee the United States should know that we will work with our international partners, pursue every legal avenue, and wait as long as it takes to bring them to justice. The Southern District of Texas does not give up.”
“The successful apprehension and extradition of this alleged sex trafficker sends a powerful message of deterrence to transnational criminal organizations across the globe that are involved in human trafficking,” said Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston Field Office. “HSI and our law enforcement partners are committed to eradicate this modern-day form of slavery from society and will bring every resource we have to bear to track you down and hold you to account for your alleged crimes.”
Cedeno-Castillo is charged with sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, importing an alien for immoral purposes, conspiracy to transport an alien in the United States for financial gain, transporting for purposes of prostitution, extortion, and cyberstalking. If convicted, he faces a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and up to life in prison.
The HSI Houston Field Office is investigating the case. The U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Investigative Strike Team provided valuable assistance.
Acting Deputy Chief Leah Branch of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ekua Assabill for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Government of Panama to secure the arrest and extradition from Panama of Cedeno-Castillo.
The investigation and indictment were supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated prosecutors from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 455 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 400 U.S. convictions; and more than 345 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
This investigation is also part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Houston comprises agents and officers from ICE HSI; FBI; DEA; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation; IRS Criminal Investigation; Interpol/Department of State; and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas leading the prosecution.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Illegal alien sex offender heads to prison for illegally reentering US againRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 34-year-old man from El Salvador has been sentenced for illegally entering the country without authorization, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Jose Angel Martinez Menjivar pleaded guilty Feb. 18.
U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison has now ordered Menjivar to serve 40 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.
Menjivar has previous convictions for illegal reentry and indecent assault by touching.
He was first removed from the country in 2022. However, authorities discovered him again in Houston July 9, 2025, with no authorization to be in the United States.
Immigration Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Law prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Corpus Christi resident sentenced for receiving child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 46-year-old woman has been ordered to federal prison after exchanging child pornography over the internet, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Melissa Sillers pleaded guilty Jan. 28.
U.S. District Judge David Morales has now sentenced Sillers to 156 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard additional information regarding multiple online conversations Sillers had with different people during which she exchanged child sexual abuse material. In handing down the prison term, the court noted the increased harm that comes from those actively distributing this kind of material and the perpetual revictimization that occurs from it. Sillers will serve 15 years on supervised release following the completion of her prison term. During that time, she will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict her access to children and the internet. She will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. Restitution will be determined at a later date.
The investigation into Sillers began Oct. 4, 2022, when authorities discovered CSAM had been uploaded onto the internet. Law enforcement was able to identify Sillers as the source of the content.
Authorities obtained a search warrant for Sillers’s residence. They located and seized her cell phone.
A forensic examination revealed conversations between Sillers and various others during which they discussed sexual fantasies involving children and exchanged CSAM. The examination showed Sillers had distributed the material a month before her arrest.
Sillers has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance of Corpus Christi Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Overman prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Bissonnet sex trafficker convicted for conspiracy involving adult and child victimsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A federal jury has returned a guilty verdict against a Houston man on charges of conspiracy and sex trafficking of children as well as forcing and coercing adults to engage in commercial sex acts, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
The jury deliberated for less than three hours before finding Jonathan Smith-Byrd, 35, guilty on six counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion as well as three counts of enticing and coercing another to travel in interstate commerce for prostitution following a seven-day trial.
From January 2014 to October 2022, Smith-Byrd used force, fraud and coercion to cause five women to engage in commercial sex. Three of the victims were minors when he trafficked them.
He posted commercial sex advertisements on Backpage.com and trafficked the victims on the Bissonnet “track” in Houston - an area near I-59 Southwest Freeway and Bissonnet Street. Smith-Byrd also made them engage in sex acts across state lines such as Nevada, Louisiana, Florida, New Mexico and others using force and violence during travel to maintain control.
One or more of the victims made multiple attempts to escape, but Smith-Byrd responded with threats and severe physical assaults, causing the victims to lose consciousness and sustain serious injuries.
Testimony revealed details of the sex ads as well as Smith-Byrd’s horrible assaults, some by using a padlock put inside a sock and belt that was broken as a result of the beatings. One of the victims suffered sustained multiple fractures to her jaw, requiring reconstructive surgery and resulting in partial facial paralysis. The jury also saw evidence of the injuries to include hospital records, photographs and physical items used to brutalize the victims.
He kept 100% of the proceeds.
Smith-Byrd seemed to acknowledge in his defense that he may have assaulted some of the women, but that it was not trafficking, just domestic violence. He further attempted to convince the jury the women were acting as independent contractors in prostituting themselves and the case was simply a love triangle gone wrong. The jury did not believe his claims and found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks presided over the trial and set sentencing for Aug. 3. At that time, Smith-Byrd faces up to life in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The FBI conducted the investigation as part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine J. Lu and Sherin S. Daniel are prosecuting the case.
HTRA law enforcement includes members of the Houston Police Department, FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Attorney General’s Office, IRS Criminal Investigation, Department of Labor, DOL – Wage and Hour Division, Department of State, Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission, Texas Department of Public Safety, Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General, Social Security Administration – OIG and Sheriff’s Offices in Harris and Montgomery counties in coordination with District Attorney’s offices in Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend Counties.
Established in 2004, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.
Jury convicts illegal alien who claimed he was kidnapped and forced to return to USRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 37-year-old Mexican national has been found guilty of illegally reentering the country without authorization, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
The jury deliberated for less than 30 minutes before convicting Eduardo Aguilera-Gallardo following a two-day trial.
Testimony revealed he became a lawful permanent resident in 2001. However, he later lost that status and was removed from the United States in 2025.
A deportation officer described how he escorted Aguilera-Gallardo across the international boundary in Laredo to be returned to Mexico. A fingerprint examiner also identified Aguilera-Gallardo as the same person documented in various deportation materials.
Testimony revealed that on April 21, 2025, authorities found Aguilera-Gallardo in Houston with no authorization to be in the United States. The jury heard that at that time, he had not reported any threat or kidnapping and neglected to ask for any help.
However, the defense attempted to convince the jury Aguilera-Gallardo was kidnapped at the Mexican border after returning to Mexico and held for ransom. He claimed his family paid for his release and kidnappers forced him to return to the United States.
Testimony and evidence revealed that neither Aguilera-Gallardo nor his family sought assistance from law enforcement in either country. He also never reported the alleged kidnapping to authorities once in the United States.
The jury rejected the defense and found Aguilera-Gallardo guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake presided over the trial and set sentencing for Aug. 7. At that time, Aguilera-Gallardo faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Immigration Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ben Hostetter and Ekua Assabill are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Out of state trucker arrested in failed human smuggling attempt of 42 in hot, locked trailerRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 43-year-old Beaver, Oklahoma, resident has been charged with smuggling numerous illegal aliens as well as possession with intent to distribute meth, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Juan Nasario-Reyes is set to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jason B. Libby May 19 at 9:40 a.m.
On May 16, Nasario-Reyes allegedly drove a white Volvo tractor-trailer to the Border Patrol checkpoint in Sarita where authorities noticed his nervous behavior. According to the complaint, he claimed his vehicle was empty and he was alone, but a K-9 alerted to the sleeper portion of the tractor and the front of the trailer.
At secondary inspection, law enforcement discovered four illegal aliens concealed inside the cab area and 38 more inside the trailer, according to the complaint.
The charges further allege the trailer had been latched shut from the outside with no means for the individuals inside to open the doors or escape.
A subsequent search allegedly revealed water bottles, trash, a cushion and a bucket for urination inside the trailer. According to the complaint, the temperature inside the trailer was approximately 92.5 degrees.
The illegal aliens are from the countries of Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Ecuador, Peru, Columbia, Cuba and Brazil, according to the charges.
Authorities also allegedly located approximately 16 grams of meth, a glass pipe and glass funnel inside a headphone box in the cab area.
If convicted of the human smuggling offenses, Nasario-Reyes faces up to five years in federal prison as well as a $250,000 maximum fine, while the drug charges carry a maximum of 40 years.
A total of 13 of the illegal aliens are facing either illegal entry or reentry charges, while the remaining are expected to be immediately removed from the country.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Izaak Bruce is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Jury convicts illegal alien for unlawfully being in United StatesRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 50-year-old bus passenger from El Salvador has been found guilty of illegally reentering the country without authorization, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
The jury deliberated for less than 10 minutes before finding Jose Leandro Juarez-Rivas guilty following a one-day trial.
On Feb. 18, authorities were conducting immigration inspections on a commercial bus at the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint. During that time, they discovered Juarez-Rivas did not have legal authorization to be in the country.
The jury heard that he was first ordered removed in May 2018 and illegally returned earlier this year.
The defense attempted to convince the jury that Juarez-Rivas did not know he was ordered removed from the United States or that he was not allowed to reenter the United States. The jury rejected those claims and found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales presided over trial and set sentencing for Aug. 19. At that time Juarez-Rivas faces up to two years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Young Min Burkett and Patrick Overman are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
SDTX adds 206 more cases in ongoing border enforcement effortsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of 211 individuals have been charged in immigration and border security-related crimes from May 8-14, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
The Southern District filed a total of 49 criminal complaints for illegal entry, while another 133 people face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. Most of those individuals have previous convictions, such as narcotics, immigration offenses, violent crimes and more. The cases also include 26 people allegedly involved in human smuggling, while the remaining matters relate to other immigration crimes and firearms charges.
As part of the newly filed complaints, two Mexican nationals have been charged with illegal reentry into the country. According to the charges, authorities previously removed German Omar Elbir-Palma in December 2025 before discovering him near Escobares this week. A separate case alleges law enforcement discovered Alejandro Perez-Miramontes near Hidalgo. According to their respective complaints, both men have prior felony convictions for illegal reentry. Perez-Miramontes also has multiple prior convictions for burglary, while Elbier-Palma was previously convicted of domestic assault. If convicted of the new illegal reentry charges, they each face up to 20 years in federal prison.
Also announced this week was the sentencing of two illegal alien felons for unlawfully reentering into the country. Mexican nationals Jose Alcantar Esquivel Moreno and Esequiel Rueda-Ramirez received 54 and 48 months, respectively. Both have been removed from the country multiple times. Moreno has a previous felony conviction for aggravated assault-family violence, while Rueda-Ramirez has prior convictions for evading arrest, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession with intent to deliver cocaine and illegal reentry.
Also of note was the sentencing of Mexican national Luis Miguel Sanchez-Martinez in Houston. The court imposed a 42-month sentence, noting his dangerous behavior and lack of respect for the law. Sanchez-Martinez has multiple convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol and was first removed in 2020.
The cases are referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than 10 million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Tren de Aragua leader extradited on terrorism and international drug distribution charges following Homeland Security Task Force investigationRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A 24-year-old Venezuelan national is set to make his initial appearance in Houston federal court for providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and significant drug trafficking offenses, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Jose Enrique Martinez Flores aka Chuqui, 24, is alleged to be a high-ranking leader of the designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua in Bogota, Colombia, and is part of the inner circle of senior TdA leadership.
Colombian authorities arrested him in Colombia March 31, 2025, pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant the United States had requested. He has now arrived in Houston and is set for an initial appearance May 15 at 10 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina A. Bryan of the Southern District of Texas.
According to the allegations, Flores is charged with one count of conspiring to provide material support to TdA in the form of personnel (including himself) and services and one count of providing material support to TdA. The indictment also alleges international drug distribution conspiracy based on his involvement in the distribution of five kilograms of cocaine or more in Colombia intended for distribution in the United States. The charges allege the proceeds were used to further TdA’s criminal goals.
As a TdA leader, he allegedly oversaw criminal activities in Colombia such as drug trafficking, extortion, prostitution and murder.
A federal grand jury in Houston returned a second superseding indictment Dec. 16, 2025, which also charges three other TdA leaders - Yohan Jose Romero aka Johan Petrica, 48, Juan Gabriel Rivas Nunez aka Juancho, 45, and Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano aka El Viejo, 38, for conspiring to provide and providing material support to TdA. Mosquera Serrano is also named in the conspiracy and distribution of cocaine charges along with Flores.
The Department of State designated TdA as a foreign terrorist organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist Feb. 20, 2025.
If convicted, he faces up to life in prison and a possible $10 million fine.
Mosquera Serrano is on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List. Jose Romero and Rivas Nunez are also fugitives. Anyone with information concerning either individual is asked to contact the FBI via WhatsApp or Telegram at 281-787-9939. Those with information may also contact their local FBI office, nearest American Embassy or Consulate or can submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
The Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program is also offering a reward of up to $4 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Jose Romero and up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Mosquera Serrano.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz of the SDTX are prosecuting the case along with Deputy Director David C. Smith and Trial Attorneys James Keller and Kelly McGann of Joint Task Force Vulcan.
This case is part of JTFV, which was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded at the direction of the Attorney General to target TdA. JTFV is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. Those include SDTX; Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Western District of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; and Districts of Nevada and Arizona as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and Department of Justice’s National Security Division. Additionally, Federal Bureau of Prisons; FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Marshals Service and Homeland Security Task Forces are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.
This case is part of the HSTF established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Houston comprises agents and officers from FBI; ICE HSI; DEA; Texas Department of Public Safety; Houston Police Department; Harris County Sheriff's Office; ATF; USMS; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation and IRS Criminal Investigation with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas leading the prosecution.
Colombian National Police (Policía Nacional de Colombia) and the Colombian Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía General de la Nación), Justice Department’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, and Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the provisional arrest and extradition of Flores to the United States.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Tren de Aragua Leader Extradited on Terrorism and International Drug Distribution Charges Following Homeland Security Task Force InvestigationRead the Press Release
A 24-year-old Venezuelan national is set to make his initial appearance in Houston federal court for providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and significant drug trafficking offenses.
Jose Enrique Martinez Flores also known as “Chuqui,” 24, is alleged to be a high-ranking leader of the designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA) in Bogota, Colombia, and is part of the inner circle of senior TdA leadership.
Colombian authorities arrested Flores in Colombia on March 31, 2025, pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant the United States had requested. He has now arrived in Houston and is set for an initial appearance on May 15 at 10 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina A. Bryan for the Southern District of Texas.
According to the allegations, Flores is charged with one count of conspiring to provide material support to TdA in the form of personnel (including himself) and services and one count of providing material support to TdA. The indictment also alleges international drug distribution conspiracy based on his involvement in the distribution of five kilograms of cocaine or more in Colombia intended for distribution in the United States. The charges allege the proceeds were used to further TdA’s criminal goals.
As a TdA leader, Flores allegedly oversaw criminal activities in Colombia such as drug trafficking, extortion, prostitution, and murder.
A federal grand jury in Houston returned a second superseding indictment Dec. 16, 2025, which also charges three other TdA leaders - Yohan Jose Romero also known as "Johan Petrica," 48, Juan Gabriel Rivas Nunez also known as "Juancho," 45, and Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano also known as "El Viejo," 38, for conspiring to provide and providing material support to TdA. Mosquera Serrano is also named in the conspiracy and distribution of cocaine charges along with Flores.
The Department of State designated TdA as a foreign terrorist organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist on Feb. 20, 2025.
If convicted, Flores faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine.
Mosquera Serrano is on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List. Jose Romero and Rivas Nunez are also fugitives. Anyone with information concerning these individuals is asked to contact the FBI via WhatsApp or Telegram at 281-787-9939. Those with information may also contact their local FBI office, nearest American Embassy or Consulate or can submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
The Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program is also offering a reward of up to $4 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Jose Romero and up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Mosquera Serrano.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case along with Deputy Director David C. Smith and Trial Attorneys James Keller and Kelly McGann of Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV).
This case is part of JTFV, which was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded at the direction of the Attorney General to target TdA. JTFV is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. Those include the Southern District of Texas, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Western District of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; and Districts of Nevada and Arizona; as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and Department of Justice’s National Security Division. Additionally, Federal Bureau of Prisons; FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations(ICE)(HSI); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Marshals Service and Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTF) are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.
This case is part of the HSTF initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Houston comprises agents and officers from FBI; ICE HSI; DEA; Texas Department of Public Safety; Houston Police Department; Harris County Sheriff's Office; ATF; USMS; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation and IRS Criminal Investigation with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas leading the prosecution.
Colombian National Police (Policía Nacional de Colombia) and the Colombian Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía General de la Nación), Justice Department’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, and Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the provisional arrest and extradition of Flores to the United States.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Suburban Houston resident admits to killing bald eagleRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 42-year-old man who resides in Porter has entered a guilty plea to shooting and causing the death of a protected species, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Santos Guerrero admitted he shot a bald eagle at his residence Oct. 11, 2024.
Authorities responded to reports of the incident and saw video footage of the eagle being shot and falling from a tree. They proceeded to Guerrero’s residence and matched the tree to the one seen in the video. They located the eagle alive and transported it to an animal hospital, but it had to be euthanized due to its injuries.
A necropsy determined the bullet caused significant damage to the eagle’s wing. The impact from the fall also caused liver fractures, internal bleeding and a fractured leg.
Bald eagles are no longer listed as endangered but remain protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. The law prohibits killing, possessing, selling, transporting, exporting or importing any bald or golden eagle, alive or dead, including any part, nest or egg, unless permitted.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray accepted the plea and set sentencing for July 30. At that time, Guerrero faces up to a year in federal prison and $100,000 maximum fine.
Fish and Wildlife Service conducted the investigation with the assistance of Texas Parks and Wildlife. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Liesel Roscher and Adam Goldman are prosecuting the case.
Previously removed Mexican national headed to federal prison for illegal reentryRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 53-year-old man who illegally resided in Houston has been sentenced for illegally reentering the country without authorization, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Jose Alcantar Esquivel Moreno pleaded guilty Feb. 20.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. has now ordered Moreno to serve 54 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he will be removed following his imprisonment. In imposing the sentence, the court noted Moreno had been told what would happen if he came back, and he chose to do so anyway.
Moreno has a prior felony conviction for aggravated assault-family violence. Authorities first removed him from the United States in February 2012.
Law Enforcement discovered Moreno again Oct. 23, 2022, following his arrest for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Moreno has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration Customs Enforcement – Enforcement Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Law prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Jury convicts Laredoan of multiple offenses involving child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 27-year-old Laredo man has been found guilty of transportation, receipt and possession of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
The jury deliberated for approximately two hours before convicting Fernando Xavier Ortiz on all counts as charged following a two-day trial that concluded May 12.
The investigation began after law enforcement learned child sexual abuse material had been uploaded to a social media application which originated from an apartment in Laredo. Ortiz resided at the location with his family.
Authorities executed a search warrant in June 2024 and seized several electronic devices. Further examination of one of the cellular phones revealed 220 videos and 144 images containing CSAM. The files were all hidden in a “secure” folder Ortiz had loaded on the phone which was password protected.
Testimony revealed he had been actively using that same secure folder for other purposes, such as sending emails to purchase a car.
The jury heard from four witnesses, some of whom described how Ortiz obtained the material from another application and stored it in the secure folder of the Samsung phone.
The defense attempted to convince the jury someone else must have placed the material on his phone, and there was insufficient proof that he did it. They did not believe those claims and found Ortiz guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen presided over trial and will set sentencing at a later date. At that time, Ortiz faces up to 20 years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Previously released on bond, he was ordered into custody following the verdict where he will remain pending that hearing.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance of Laredo Police Department and other members of the Laredo Child Exploitation Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ann Zeller and Michael Makens are prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Suburban Houston resident sent to prison for receiving child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 36-year-old Pasadena man has been ordered to federal prison after exchanging child pornography over the internet, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Pedro Lopez pleaded guilty May 6, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Lopez to serve 87 months in federal prison. He was further ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution and will serve 10 years on supervised release following the completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Lopez will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
The investigation into Lopez began Aug. 9, 2024, after authorities discovered he had been uploading child sexual abuse material over the internet. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on his home where they located his cell phone. A forensic examination revealed conversations Lopez had with others involving CSAM.
Lopez also sent and received child pornography to others online through various communication applications.
He was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance of Nueces County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Overman prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Nigerian national admits to role in email scamRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 34-year-old foreign national who resided in Houston has pleaded guilty to illegal money transmission, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
From 2020 to 2022, Edikan Adiakpan owned an unlicensed money transmitting business through a company he controlled called Akama Lifestyle. As part of his plea, he admitted he used the business to transfer funds and kept a percentage as a fee.
The funds Adiakpan received and then transmitted originated from fraudsters who carried out a business email compromise scheme. It targeted more than 10 victims who received “spoofed” emails that appeared to come from known suppliers and creditors. The victims were tricked into sending payments to bank accounts the fraudsters controlled instead of the actual suppliers.
One victim wired $927,080 to the fraudsters who then sent portions of those proceeds to Adiakpan. He redeemed a cashier’s check payable to himself that contained $60,000 of the victim’s money.
He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
Another Nigerian citizen, Ayobami Omoniyi, 26, was sentenced March 24 to 32 months in federal prison for his role in the scheme.
U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen accepted the plea and has sent sentencing for Sept. 15. At that time, Adiakpan faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
FBI – Houston and its Bryan Resident Agency and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Belinda Beek is prosecuting the case.
Armed supermarket robber ordered to prison for 14 yearsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 34-year-old Houston resident has been sentenced for his convictions of using a firearm during the robberies of two area grocery stores, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Raul Castro pleaded guilty Jan. 15 to two counts of using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Senior U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal has now ordered him to serve 84 months on each count to run consecutively. The total 168-month sentence will be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. The court also ordered that Castro make restitution to the two victim businesses.
On Oct. 6, 2023, Castro robbed El Ahorro grocery store on Capitol Street and La Michoacana supermarket on Gulf Freeway eight days later. In both instances, he placed items on the conveyor belt, waited for the cashier to open the drawer and demanded money at gunpoint.
During the El Ahorro robbery, he placed his gun to side of the cashier who then provided cash in fear for her safety and of being shot.
Authorities located Castro after he was found driving a stolen car. Upon searching the vehicle, law enforcement discovered clothing that matched those of the man who had committed the grocery store robberies. Castro also identified himself in surveillance footage of the Oct. 14 incident during an interview with federal investigators.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Houston Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ganz prosecuted the case.
Illegal alien ordered to federal prison following repeated illegal reentriesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 38-year-old illegal alien from Mexico has been sentenced for illegally reentering the United States after removal, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Esequiel Rueda-Ramirez pleaded guilty to this offense on Nov. 13, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Hanen has now ordered Rueda-Ramirez to serve 48 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to again face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard evidence regarding Rueda-Ramirez’s criminal history while unlawfully present in the United States.
Rueda-Ramirez has prior convictions for evading arrest, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession with intent to deliver cocaine and illegal reentry.
Authorities first removed Rueda-Ramirez from the United States in February 2010, and he repeatedly returned illegally. On June 2, 2022, law enforcement again discovered him in the country without authorization.
Rueda-Ramirez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Hostetter prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Paisas gang member sentenced for human smuggling while on supervised release in joint HSTF/JTFA effortRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 25-year-old Laredo resident has been ordered to federal prison for transporting illegal aliens following a failed smuggling attempt near the La Bota Ranch area, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Duilio Ivan Selgado pleaded guilty Feb. 3.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana has now ordered Selgado to serve 41 months in federal prison as well as a consecutive 14 months for violating his supervised release. The total 55-month term of imprisonment will be immediately followed by two years of supervised release.
During the hearing, the court heard additional evidence detailing Selgado’s extensive criminal history involving violence and other conduct that placed the public at risk, including assaults, arson and high-speed flights from law enforcement. In imposing the sentence, Judge Saldana commented on the distressing criminal history and noted that this marked Selgado’s sixth arrest for alien smuggling and the second time he violated a term of supervised release by committing the very same offense for which he was already under supervision.
On Nov. 10, 2025, authorities were conducting surveillance in the La Bota Ranch area of Laredo. They observed approximately 20 illegal aliens cross the Rio Grande and walk towards a nearby boat ramp. Shortly after, a Ford Expedition and Ford F-150 picked up the aliens.
Law enforcement-initiated pursuit of the Expedition and observed Selgado exit the vehicle from the front passenger side. As they approached, several aliens fled on foot.
One illegal alien stated he paid to be smuggled into the United States. After crossing the river, the group was directed to walk up a boat ramp to be picked up. He also said Selgado was on the phone receiving directions.
Selgado admitted to being a member of the Paisas prison gang.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Day prosecuted the case.
This operation is now part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF South Texas comprises agents and officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations; FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation/IRS; Interpol/Department of State and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas leading the prosecution. Border Patrol and Texas Department of Public Safety also provided assistance in the case.
The investigation and charges are also a result of coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha, a partnership with Department of Homeland Security which has been elevated and expanded with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, Districts of Arizona and New Mexico and Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Office of Enforcement Operations and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA and other partners.
To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 455 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 400 U.S. convictions; more than 350 significant jail sentences imposed and forfeitures of substantial assets.
Operation Take Back America efforts continue with 267 more charged in the Southern District of TexasRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of 256 cases have been filed for immigration and border security-related crimes from May 1-7, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
The charges include 40 people allegedly involved in human smuggling. A total of 46 criminal complaints were filed for illegal entry, while another 180 people face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. The remaining case includes another immigration violation. Most of those charged this week have prior felonies such as narcotics, violent crime, immigration offenses and more.
Three of the filed cases allegedly involve illegal aliens found in the McAllen area. One individual is Armando Montoya-Cardozo from Bolivia, according to the charges. The criminal complaint alleges he has a prior conviction for carnal knowledge of a minor before he was removed from the United States, and that law enforcement discovered him near Roma with no authorization to be in the United States.
Also found near Roma was Juan Jose German-Carrillo despite having been removed Jan. 8, according to the complaint against him. The Mexican national was previously convicted of injuring a child or the elderly and possession of a controlled substance. Another Mexican national with prior drug convictions is Rene Villarreal-Carmona, according to his charges. Authorities discovered him near Escobares despite having been previously removed from the country.
If convicted, all three men face up to 20 years in federal prison.
In addition to the new cases, a three-time DUI offender illegally in the United States was ordered to federal prison in Houston federal court. Mexican national Jose Alejandro Luna-Rangel was previously removed from the United States in July 2016 following his conviction for driving under the influence with a child in the vehicle. However, he illegally returned and was convicted for assault-family violence and felony driving while intoxicated (third offense). He was ordered to serve 40 months for the federal illegal reentry after prior removal conviction.
The cases are referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than 10 million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Another illegal alien multi-DUI offender heads to federal prisonRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 33-year-old illegal alien living in Houston has been ordered to federal prison for illegally reentering the country without authorization again, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Luis Miguel Sanchez-Martinez pleaded guilty Feb. 19.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake has now ordered Sanchez-Martinez to serve 42 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. In handing down the sentence, the court considered his dangerous behavior, lack of respect for the law and need for further deterrence.
Sanchez-Martinez has multiple convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Authorities first removed him from the United States in November 2020 following his third DUI conviction. He was subsequently removed after a fourth DUI, but law enforcement found him in Houston Aug. 9, 2024, with no authorization to be in the country.
Sanchez-Martinez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration Customs Enforcement – Enforcement Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Law prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Katy man sent to prison for leading multimillion-dollar Ponzi schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 40-year-old suburban Houston resident has been ordered to federal prison for his role in a scheme to defraud dozens of victims of over $17 million, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Christopher Knight Lopez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud Feb. 19.
After today’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison ordered Lopez to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard statements from 13 victims, each of whom described the impact Lopez’s crime had on their lives. In handing down the sentence, Judge Ellison noted he had never seen a white-collar crime more offensive during his time on the bench.
From May 2015 to January 2025, Lopez and his brother, Jayson Lopez, ran an investment business and conspired with others to defraud their clients by providing false information about the companies in which the clients invested. They used forged bank letters and fabricated account statements to mislead investors about the companies’ financial strength.
The bothers operated under several LLCs, to include Knight Nguyen Investments, Knight Advisory and Planning, Aevum Holdings Inc., Exempt Management LLC and Ping An Financial Services Pte.
The Lopez brothers misappropriated client funds for personal use and used additional investor money to pay purported returns to other victims to falsely portray the investments were profitable.
Christopher and Jayson Lopez also admitted they falsely claimed access to $2 billion in U.S. Treasury bonds. They told their clients they could use these funds to finance their clients’ businesses if the clients paid large advance fees. The brothers collected the fees from their clients but never issued the loans.
The scheme resulted in an approximately $17 million in losses to more than 40 victims, including senior citizens and others seeking to invest retirement savings and college funds, as well as local and international businesses.
Jayson Lopez, 43, Orlando, Florida, previously pleaded guilty to the same charge and will be sentenced May 8.
Nadir Abdel Torres 46, Mandan, North Dakota, was also charged and previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, admitting he assisted the brothers by helping them obtain the forged letters and bank statements. He will be sentenced May 22.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin R. Martin prosecuted the case.
Illegal reentry into U.S. lands three-time DUI offender in federal prisonRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 32-year-old illegal alien from Mexico with a felony criminal history has been sentenced for illegally reentering the country without authorization, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Jose Alejandro Luna-Rangel pleaded guilty Feb. 25.
U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal ordered Luna-Rangel to serve 40 months in federal prison, and he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. In handing down the sentence, the court cited the need to deter further criminal conduct and considered Luna-Rangel’s pattern of dangerous behavior and repeated disregard of the law.
Authorities previously removed Luna-Rangel from the United States in July 2016 following his conviction for driving under the influence with a child in the vehicle.
He later illegally returned to the United States. Law Enforcement discovered Luna-Rangel again Nov. 5, 2022, in Harris County following convictions for assault-family violence and felony driving while intoxicated (third offense).
Luna-Rangel has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration Customs Enforcement – Enforcement Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Law prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Illegal alien sent to prison for role in cocaine trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 52-year-old illegal alien from Mexico living in Laredo has been sentenced for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than $1 million in cocaine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Luis Manuel Castillo Garcia pleaded guilty Nov. 3, 2025, to conspiring with others to organize and transport cocaine from Laredo to other locations across the United States and to being found illegally residing in the United States following his removal.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana ordered Garcia to serve 135 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess cocaine and 120 months for illegally reentering the country after removal. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected again to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.
At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence regarding Garcia’s criminal history, including prior convictions for drug possession and illegal reentry following removal. The court also heard evidence Garcia coordinated cocaine shipments from Mexico and participated in transporting large quantities of cocaine over an extended period.
In March 2025, Garcia recruited tractor-trailer drivers, including Luis Alonzo Pena Jr., to haul several loads of cocaine stored at a local yard.
Garcia arranged for two trailers containing hidden compartments of cocaine to be transported from Laredo. He paid $9,000 per trailer. Authorities seized the vehicles March 4 and 5, 2025, and discovered a total of 50 kilograms of cocaine.
Approximately two months later, law enforcement observed Garcia meet Pena at a location in Laredo. Pena arrived in a red Chevrolet Silverado and accepted a duffle bag of cocaine for transport.
A subsequent traffic stop led to the discovery of the bag, which contained 15 bundles of cocaine weighing approximately 18.5 kilograms.
The more than 65 kilograms of cocaine had an estimated street value of over $1 million.
Pena, 31, Laredo, was previously sentenced to 56 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.
Both men will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety, Laredo Police Department, Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Lou Castillo prosecuted the case.
Judge orders civil forfeiture of $1.7M Brownsville mansion tied to drug proceedsRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A home acquired with drug proceeds and used to launder money has been civilly fortified to the United States, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Authorities identified a major cocaine supplier allegedly linked to multiple cartels. The forfeiture action indicated thousands of kilograms of cocaine had been imported from Mexico into the United States for distribution in several states, including California, Nevada, North Carolina, Indiana and Florida.
According to the court filings, the mansion was purchased with proceeds from the drug trafficking activities which were also used to make substantial improvements, including construction of a pool, pool house and a full renovation of the residence.
The mansion includes six bedrooms, four bathrooms and more than 6,900 square feet and has been appraised at approximately $1.7 million. The property will be sold at government auction.
U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. approved the final order of forfeiture after concluding the property was acquired with drug proceeds and involved money laundering activities. No unaddressed claims to the property had been filed.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the civil and criminal investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Foster and Zachary Blackmon handled the civil forfeiture. AUSA Lance Watt is prosecuting the related criminal case.
Local banker indicted for bank fraud conspiracy involving millionsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A Houston area man has been taken into custody for allegedly acting as a loan officer on millions of dollars in fraudulent loans as part of a large-scale bank fraud scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Siupo Ernest Mo has now made his initial appearance in Houston federal court.
According to the indictment returned April 29, from at least 2018 through 2022, Mo conspired with others in a scheme to obtain money from federally insured financial institutions through fraudulent loan applications.
The charges allege he worked as a loan officer and assisted in preparing and submitting loan applications containing false and fraudulent information.
The scheme allegedly included fake equipment invoices, fraudulent income tax returns and falsified financial and bank statements.
Mo recruited others to prepare false tax returns and used those documents to support loan applications, according to the allegations.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency - Office of Inspector General, IRS Criminal Investigation, FBI and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation - OIG conducted the investigation along with valuable assistance from the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center. Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek is prosecuting the case.
The Department of Justice has created the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse within federal benefit programs.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Last week of April sees another 244 charged as part of Operation Take Back America effortsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of 239 cases have been filed in immigration and border security-related matters from April 24-30, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
The Southern District of Texas filed a total of 163 criminal complaints for illegal entry, while another 53 people face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. The cases also include charges against 28 people allegedly involved in human smuggling. Most have prior felonies such as narcotics, violent crime, immigration crimes and more.
As part of the new cases, Mexican national Jose Luis Anguiana-Ruiz was allegedly removed from the United States just a few weeks ago – April 6. However, authorities discovered him again in the country near Mercedes, according to the charges. The criminal complaint alleges he has a conviction for aggravated sexual assault of a child.
Law enforcement also allegedly discovered Honduran national Degny Oshmarlin Molina-Villatoro near Roma, despite having been previously removed June 2, 2025. According to the complaint, he has previous convictions for aggravated assault, carrying a concealed weapon and two illegal reentries.
Four more felons were also allegedly found in the McAllen area despite having been removed previously - Maria Asucena Martinez-Hernandez, Guadalupe Gutierrez-Moreno, Homero Rodriguez-Martinez and Servando Morales-Diaz, all of Mexico. The charges allege all had been previously removed following their various convictions of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, felony possession of marijuana, importation of meth, illegal reentry, burglary of a habitation and/or assault on a public servant.
All six did not have legal authorization to be in the country, according to the allegations, and face up to 20 years in federal prison, if convicted.
In addition to the new cases, a federal jury in Houston found 36-year-old Mexican national Luis Alberto Banda Acosta guilty of unlawfully reentering the country without authorization. The defense attempted to convince the jury he was involuntarily present under duress and had been kidnapped and forced to swim across the border. However, the jury heard evidence he was freely residing in the United States, including traveling to multiple locations, receiving pay stubs and making purchases at a lingerie store.
In another trial victory, a Laredo jury convicted a 21-year-old Laredo man of transporting an alien and conspiring to do so following a three-day trial. On Dec. 15, 2025, Erik Rafael Salas drove a white pickup truck, traveling in tandem with another suspected smuggling vehicle. He soon led authorities on a high-speed chase near Laredo while transporting several illegal aliens. Salas crashed into a private gate after spike strips punctured his tire. He then bailed out of the vehicle along with the aliens. One of them testified how she feared for her life as Salas drove recklessly to evade authorities and even asked him to stop. Salas now faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
In Corpus Christi, Jesus Grimaldo aka Chuy received a 121-month sentence for leading a human smuggling organization that resulted in death. The court found a death occurred during the scheme and would not have happened but for his leadership role. The investigation began after authorities discovered a deceased man in Brooks County who died from heat exposure. Analysis of the victim’s phone revealed multiple payments to Grimaldo through CashApp and Zelle. Authorities determined he arranged transportation from the Rio Grande Valley and profited from smuggling individuals in extreme heat, including in vehicle trunks.
The cases are referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than 10 million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
South Texas man gets 120 months for leadership role in human smuggling organization that led to deathRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 21-year-old Penitas resident has been ordered to federal prison for his role in bringing in and harboring illegal aliens, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Jesus Grimaldo aka Chuy pleaded guilty Oct. 22, 2025.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered Grimaldo to serve the maximum of 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.
The court enhanced the sentence, finding Grimaldo responsible for smuggling more than 100 illegal aliens during the conspiracy, using or brandishing a firearm during the smuggling operations, recklessly placing smuggled aliens in danger of injury or death, kidnapping and leading the conspiracy by recruiting drivers and coordinating smuggling trips. Grimaldo was also held responsible for being a leader of the alien smuggling organization and conspiracy.
In handing down the sentence, the court noted a death that occurred during the scheme, further commenting that it would not have happened but for Grimaldo’s role as the leader in the conspiracy.
The investigation began May 8, 2024, when authorities responded to a report of a deceased man on the side of the road in Brooks County. Authorities later identified him as an illegal alien from Mexico who died from heat exposure.
An analysis of the deceased man’s phone revealed multiple payments through CashApp and Zelle to Grimaldo.
Further investigation revealed Grimaldo coordinated multiple smuggling events between June 2022 and April 2025 with drivers he recruited. He received illegal aliens after they crossed the U.S.-Mexico border and arranged trips from the Rio Grande Valley past Border Patrol checkpoints.
Law enforcement discovered Grimaldo received substantial payments for leading the organization and arranging dangerous smuggling trips, including transporting the aliens in trunks of vehicles during extreme heat.
Grimaldo will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Gould and Joseph Griffith prosecuted the case.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Two Houston-area men get life for roles in murder-for-hire plot against wrong manRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Two men have been sentenced to life for their roles related to a conspiracy that resulted in the shooting of a Katy man on his way to work, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
The federal jury deliberated for approximately two days before convicting Michael Seery, 43, Katy, and Ricardo Obando Jr., 52, Houston, following an eight-day trial Feb. 5.
U.S. District Judge David Hittner has now imposed life sentences for both men.
At trial, the jury heard the men plotted the murder over the course of months and executed their plan in the early morning of Feb. 4, 2025. Obando shot the victim several times as the man was traveling on his way to work. The victim sustained gunshots wounds to his neck, torso and hand, but ultimately survived.
Seery hired Obando to kill a man he believed had an affair with Seery’s wife while Seery was in prison. Cell phone evidence demonstrated how Obando conducted extensive surveillance and a failed attempt on the victim before finally executing the plot.
Obando shot the victim using a firearm equipped with a silencer while the man was driving to work on Highway 99. Jurors heard testimony from the victim and watched the actual footage of the shooting captured on his in-car camera system, which showed the moment of the shooting and the subsequent 911 call.
In reality, Seery targeted the wrong person. The actual intended target had moved out of the residence where Seery believed he lived.
The intended target testified as did Seery’s wife. The jury heard about the affair that had occurred 12 years prior and that Seery could not get over it. Testimony revealed that even in January 2025, a few weeks before the murder attempt, Seery was angry about the affair.
Evidence included multiple photos of various firearms and firearm parts found at Seery’s home and storage unit. The jury also saw the 3D printer Seery used to manufacture the weapon and silencer that Obando is believed to have used.
Seery had paid Obando through his business to carry out the crime.
The defense attempted to convince the jury there was no evidence about the real intended target or that there was any relationship between the two men and the actual victim, or the intended target. Obando’s defense disputed cellular phone evidence, while Seery claimed he was not involved at in the conspiracy. The jury did not believe any of those claims and found the two men guilty as charged.
Both have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI and Harris County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation along with Texas Department of Public Safety and Katy Police Department with assistance of Harris County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hunter Brown and Jill Stotts prosecuted the case.
Houston business owner sent to prison for failing to pay over $1.6 million in taxesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A former certified public accountant has been ordered to prison for failing to pay taxes withheld from employee wages, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Harry Lamar Curtis III pleaded guilty Nov. 6, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake has now ordered Curtis to serve 18 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.
Curtis was the owner of Information Advisory Group LLC, a cybersecurity and IT company based in Houston. As such, he was required to withhold and pay over all employment taxes withheld from employee paychecks. These included federal income taxes, FICA taxes and employer matching amounts.
As part of his plea, Curtis admitted that despite being trained as a CPA, he failed to file any business tax returns for IAG since 2016. He improperly withheld $1,647,142 over this time period that was due to the IRS.
Curtis also admitted he had not filed any individual tax returns for himself since 2008.
He was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Gray prosecuted the case.
The Department of Justice has created the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse within federal benefit programs.
Prolific Chinese state-sponsored contract hacker extradited from ItalyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A 34-year-old citizen of the People’s Republic of China is set to appear in Houston federal court on a nine-count indictment related to his involvement in computer intrusions between February 2020 and June 2021.
Xu Zewei (徐泽伟) was extradited April 25 and has now made his initial appearance in Houston federal court. He remains in custody pending a detention hearing set for April 30 at 10:30 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard W. Bennett.
Certain of those computer intrusions allegedly are part of the HAFNIUM computer intrusion campaign that compromised thousands of computers worldwide, including in the United States. Other intrusions targeted U.S. COVID-19 research during the height of the pandemic. Xu is charged along with Zhang Yu (张宇), 44, who is also a PRC national.
According to court documents, officers of the PRC’s Ministry of State Security’s Shanghai State Security Bureau directed Xu to conduct this hacking. The MSS and SSSB are PRC intelligence services responsible for PRC’s domestic counterintelligence, non-military foreign intelligence and aspects of the PRC’s political and domestic security, according to the charges. When Xu conducted the computer intrusions, he allegedly worked for a company named Shanghai Powerock Network Co. Ltd. Powerock was one of many “enabling” companies in the PRC that conducted hacking for the PRC government, according to the allegations.
“Today, Xu Zewei will stand in a federal courtroom to answer for crimes that struck at the heart of American science and security — allegedly stealing COVID-19 research from our universities when the world needed it most,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck for the Southern District of Texas. “We have pursued this moment across years and continents, and the message this office sends today is the same one we sent when we first unsealed this indictment: we will work to protect the American people.”
“The United States is committed to pursuing hackers who steal information from U.S. businesses and universities and threaten our cybersecurity,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “I commend the prosecutors and investigators who have worked hard and sought justice for years in this investigation, and we look forward to proving our case in court.”
“The extradition of Xu Zewei demonstrates the FBI's reach extends well beyond U.S. borders,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI's Cyber Division. “Xu will now answer for his alleged role in HAFNIUM, a group responsible for a vast intrusion campaign directed by China's Ministry of State Security that compromised more than 12,700 U.S. organizations. He is one of many contractors the Chinese government uses to obscure its hand in cyber operations, and others who do the same face the same risk. The FBI thanks our Italian law enforcement colleagues, especially the Polizia Postale, whose partnership led to Xu's arrest in Milan and his extradition to the United States.”
According to court documents, in early 2020, Xu and his co-conspirators hacked and otherwise targeted U.S.-based universities, immunologists and virologists conducting research into COVID‑19 vaccines, treatment and testing. Xu and others allegedly reported their activities to officers in the SSSB who were supervising and directing the hacking activities. For example, the charges alleges that on or about Feb. 19, 2020, Xu provided an SSSB officer with confirmation that he had compromised the network of a research university located in the Southern District of Texas. On or about Feb. 22, 2020, the SSSB officer directed Xu to target and access specific email accounts (mailboxes) belonging to virologists and immunologists engaged in COVID-19 research for the university, according to the indictment. Xu allegedly later confirmed for the SSSB officer that he acquired the contents of the researchers’ mailboxes.
The charges further allege that beginning in late 2020, Xu and his co-conspirators exploited certain vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server, a widely used Microsoft product for sending, receiving and storing email messages. Their alleged exploitation of Microsoft Exchange Server was at the forefront of a massive campaign targeting thousands of computers worldwide and known publicly as “HAFNIUM.” In March 2021, Microsoft publicly disclosed the intrusion campaign by state-sponsored hackers operating out of China. Throughout March 2021, Microsoft and other industry partners released detection tools, patches and other information to assist victim entities in identifying and mitigating this cyber incident. Additionally, the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released a Joint Advisory on Compromise of Microsoft Exchange Server on March 10, 2021. However, by the end of March 2021, hundreds of web shells remained on certain U.S.-based computers running Microsoft Exchange Server software.
In April 2021, the Justice Department announced a court-authorized operation to remediate hundreds of computers in the United States made vulnerable by HAFNIUM actors. In July 2021, the United States and foreign partners attributed the HAFNIUM campaign to the PRC’s MSS.
Among the victims of Xu’s alleged exploitation of Microsoft Exchange Server were another university located in the Southern District of Texas and a law firm with offices worldwide, including in Washington, D.C. After exploiting computers running Microsoft Exchange Server, Xu and his co-conspirators installed web shells on them to enable their remote administration. The indictment alleges that these web shells were specific to HAFNIUM actors at the time. As with the earlier COVID-19 research intrusions, Xu and Zhang allegedly worked together on the HAFNIUM intrusions under the supervision and direction of SSSB officers. For example, the indictment alleges that on or about Jan. 30, 2021, Xu confirmed to Zhang that he had compromised the other university’s network. Later, on or about Feb. 28, 2021, Xu allegedly updated a SSSB officer on his successful intrusions. This SSSB officer then directed Xu to obtain a list of other, successful intrusions from a second SSSB officer, according to the charges.
The indictment alleges that unauthorized access to the law firm’s network allowed Xu and his co-conspirators to steal information from mailboxes and search them for information regarding specific U.S. policy makers and government agencies. Their search terms allegedly included “Chinese sources,” “MSS” and “HongKong.”
As described in the July 2025 announcement of charges against Xu, the PRC uses an extensive network of private companies and contractors in China to hack and steal information in a manner that obscured the PRC government’s involvement. Operating from their safe haven and motivated by profit, this network of private companies and contractors in China cast a wide net to identify vulnerable computers, exploit those computers, and then identify information that it could sell directly or indirectly to the PRC government. This largely indiscriminate approach results in more victims in the United States and elsewhere, more systems worldwide left vulnerable to future exploitation by third parties, and more stolen information, often of no interest to the PRC government and, therefore, sold to other third parties.
Xu is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two counts of wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count; conspiracy to cause damage to and obtain information by unauthorized access to protected computers, to commit wire fraud and to commit identity theft, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison; two counts of obtaining information by unauthorized access to protected computers, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison; two counts of intentional damage to a protected computer, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; and aggravated identity theft, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed.
Zhang Yu remains at large. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
The FBI’s Houston Field Office is conducting the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney S. Mark McIntyre for the Southern District of Texas and Deputy Chief Matthew Anzaldi of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs secured the arrest and extradition from Italy of Xu. The United States thanks the Government of Italy for its assistance extraditing Xu to the United States, including the Cyber Division of the Italian National Police for its valuable assistance.
Note: View the indictment in U.S. v. Xu Zewei et al. here.
Prolific Chinese State-Sponsored Contract Hacker Extradited from ItalyRead the Press Release
Note: View the indictment in U.S. v. Xu Zewei et al. here.
Xu Zewei (徐泽伟), 34, of the People’s Republic of China was extradited to the United States this weekend and appeared today in U.S. District Court in Houston on a nine-count indictment related to his involvement in computer intrusions between February 2020 and June 2021. Certain of those computer intrusions allegedly are part of the HAFNIUM computer intrusion campaign that compromised thousands of computers worldwide, including in the United States. Other intrusions targeted U.S. COVID-19 research during the height of the pandemic. Xu is charged along with Zhang Yu (张宇), 44, who is also a PRC national.
According to court documents, officers of the PRC’s Ministry of State Security’s (MSS) Shanghai State Security Bureau (SSSB) directed Xu to conduct this hacking. The MSS and SSSB are PRC intelligence services responsible for PRC’s domestic counterintelligence, non-military foreign intelligence, and aspects of the PRC’s political and domestic security. When Xu conducted the computer intrusions, he allegedly worked for a company named Shanghai Powerock Network Co. Ltd. (Powerock). Powerock was one of many “enabling” companies in the PRC that conducted hacking for the PRC government.
“The United States is committed to pursuing hackers who steal information from U.S. businesses and universities and threaten our cybersecurity,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “I commend the prosecutors and investigators who have worked hard and sought justice for years in this investigation, and we look forward to proving our case in court.”
“Today, Xu Zewei will stand in a federal courtroom to answer for crimes that struck at the heart of American science and security — allegedly stealing COVID-19 research from our universities when the world needed it most,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck for the Southern District of Texas. “We have pursued this moment across years and continents, and the message this office sends today is the same one we sent when we first unsealed this indictment: we will work to protect the American people.”
“The extradition of Xu Zewei demonstrates the FBI's reach extends well beyond U.S. borders,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI's Cyber Division. “Xu will now answer for his alleged role in HAFNIUM, a group responsible for a vast intrusion campaign directed by China's Ministry of State Security that compromised more than 12,700 U.S. organizations. He is one of many contractors the Chinese government uses to obscure its hand in cyber operations, and others who do the same face the same risk. The FBI thanks our Italian law enforcement colleagues, especially the Polizia Postale, whose partnership led to Xu's arrest in Milan and his extradition to the United States.”
According to court documents, in early 2020, Xu and his co-conspirators hacked and otherwise targeted U.S.-based universities, immunologists, and virologists conducting research into COVID‑19 vaccines, treatment, and testing. Xu and others reported their activities to officers in the SSSB who were supervising and directing the hacking activities. For example, on or about Feb. 19, 2020, Xu provided an SSSB officer with confirmation that he had compromised the network of a research university located in the Southern District of Texas. On or about Feb. 22, 2020, the SSSB officer directed Xu to target and access specific email accounts (mailboxes) belonging to virologists and immunologists engaged in COVID-19 research for the university. Xu later confirmed for the SSSB officer that he acquired the contents of the researchers’ mailboxes.
The charges further allege that beginning in late 2020, Xu and his co-conspirators exploited certain vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server, a widely-used Microsoft product for sending, receiving, and storing email messages. Their exploitation of Microsoft Exchange Server was at the forefront of a massive campaign targeting thousands of computers worldwide and known publicly as “HAFNIUM.” In March 2021, Microsoft publicly disclosed the intrusion campaign by state-sponsored hackers operating out of China. Throughout March 2021, Microsoft and other industry partners released detection tools, patches, and other information to assist victim entities in identifying and mitigating this cyber incident. Additionally, the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released a Joint Advisory on Compromise of Microsoft Exchange Server on March 10, 2021. However, by the end of March 2021, hundreds of web shells remained on certain U.S.-based computers running Microsoft Exchange Server software. In April 2021, the Justice Department announced a court-authorized operation to remediate hundreds of computers in the United States made vulnerable by HAFNIUM actors. In July 2021, the United States and foreign partners attributed the HAFNIUM campaign to the PRC’s MSS.
Among the victims of Xu’s alleged exploitation of Microsoft Exchange Server were another university located in the Southern District of Texas and a law firm with offices worldwide, including in Washington, D.C. After exploiting computers running Microsoft Exchange Server, Xu and his co-conspirators installed web shells on them to enable their remote administration. The indictment alleges that these web shells were specific to HAFNIUM actors at the time. As with the earlier COVID-19 research intrusions, Xu and Zhang worked together on the HAFNIUM intrusions, under the supervision and direction of SSSB officers. For example, on or about Jan. 30, 2021, Xu confirmed to Zhang that he had compromised the other university’s network. Later, on or about Feb. 28, 2021, Xu updated a SSSB officer on his successful intrusions. This SSSB officer then directed Xu to obtain a list of other, successful intrusions from a second SSSB officer. Unauthorized access to the law firm’s network allowed Xu and his co-conspirators to steal information from mailboxes and search them for information regarding specific U.S. policy makers and government agencies. Their search terms included “Chinese sources,” “MSS,” and “HongKong.”
As described in the July 2025 announcement of charges against Xu, the PRC uses an extensive network of private companies and contractors in China to hack and steal information in a manner that obscured the PRC government’s involvement. Operating from their safe haven and motivated by profit, this network of private companies and contractors in China cast a wide net to identify vulnerable computers, exploit those computers, and then identify information that it could sell directly or indirectly to the PRC government. This largely indiscriminate approach results in more victims in the United States and elsewhere, more systems worldwide left vulnerable to future exploitation by third parties, and more stolen information, often of no interest to the PRC government and, therefore, sold to other third parties.
Xu is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two counts of wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count; conspiracy to cause damage to and obtain information by unauthorized access to protected computers, to commit wire fraud, and to commit identity theft, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison; two counts of obtaining information by unauthorized access to protected computers, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison; two counts of intentional damage to a protected computer, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; and aggravated identity theft, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison. Zhang Yu, remains at large. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
The FBI’s Houston Field Office is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark McIntyre for the Southern District of Texas and Deputy Chief Matthew Anzaldi of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs secured the arrest and extradition from Italy of Xu. The United States thanks the Government of Italy for its assistance extraditing Xu to the United States, including the Cyber Division of the Italian National Police for its valuable assistance.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Houston man receives 27 years after coordinating event involving sexual abuse of toddlerRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 27-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison for coercion and enticement of a minor and receipt of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Victor Zuniga pleaded guilty Jan. 15.
U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen has now sentenced Zuniga to 324 and 240 months for the coercion/enticement and receipt convictions, respectively. They will run concurrently for a total 324-month-term of imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Zuniga spent more than a year attempting to arrange an in-person meeting to facilitate the sexual abuse of a toddler.
Zuniga will serve the rest of his life on supervised release following the completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to the internet.
A total of four videos from the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation prompted the investigation in December 2023.
Between Jan. 28, 2022, and Nov. 2, 2023, Zuniga exchanged multiple messages discussing having sex with minors. He ultimately received numerous videos and images of child sexual abuse material.
Forensic examination of Zuniga’s cell phone revealed a 42-minute screen recording of a live video feed of minor children ranging from two to 10 years of age being sexually abused.
Zuniga has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
FBI - Houston conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Valenti and Kimberly Leo are prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
SDTX exceeds 20,000 charged as 480 more cases filed in ongoing border security enforcement effortsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Since the implementation of Operation Take Back America, the Southern District of Texas has filed a total of 20,069 cases against 20,374 individuals in immigration and related matters, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Among those, are 484 people charged between April 17-23: 175 for illegal entry, 275 for felony reentry after removal, 33 in human smuggling cases and another one for an immigration-related crime. Many have prior convictions for narcotics, violent crime, sexual offenses, other immigration violations and more.
One illegal alien charged this week has a prior conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to the charges. Authorities allegedly found Mexican national Fernando Flores-Bautista near Roma, despite having been removed March 29.
Another illegal alien facing charges this week is Mexican national Carlos Guadalupe Aquino-Pacheco. According to the complaint, authorities encountered him while conducting a traffic stop near McAllen. Court documents allege he has a prior conviction for interference with commerce by threats or violence. Aquino-Pacheco was previously removed Oct. 4, 2023, according to the charges.
Two others also charged with felony reentry after prior removal include Mexican nationals Dionicio Rodriguez-Hernandez and Francisco Javier Velasquez-Vela, found near Hidalgo and Roma, respectively. The complaints allege they have previous convictions such as transporting/harboring aliens, illegal reentry and/or aggravated burglary.
All four face up to 20 years in federal prison, if convicted.
In addition to the new cases, eight members of Mara Salvatrucha aka MS-13 have now received federal prison sentences ranging from 35-50 years for their respective roles in a racketeering conspiracy involving witness tampering and multiple murders, including victims as young as 14. They admitted involvement in killings ordered by MS-13 leadership in El Salvador. Members targeted rival gang members, perceived cooperators and others to maintain or elevate their rank within the organization. Following the killings, they provided photographic proof to leadership, sometimes further mutilating victims to demonstrate compliance.
Also of note this week, Roma resident Lizandro Monroy was ordered to serve 37 months in federal prison for using a minor in a human smuggling scheme. The court noted similarities to his prior convictions, including involvement in pursuits. Authorities observed a raft crossing near a known human smuggling pickup location in June 2025. Monroy had directed a 15-year-old to pick up three aliens before fleeing from a traffic stop, leading to a pursuit and crash that injured one individual. Monroy recruited and paid the minor, provided the route and supplied a phone to receive instructions.
The cases are referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than 10 million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Mother arrested in failed smuggling attempt of minorRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – An illegal alien who resided in Austin has been charged for her role in a failed attempt to smuggle an 8-year-old child into the United States by a stranger, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Mexican national Nanzy Rodriguez-Sanchez has made her initial appearance in Laredo federal court and will remain in custody pending a detention hearing May 7.
Co-conspirators Jesus Luciano, 34, Austin, and Mexican national Maribel Jaimes-Hernandez, 27, were previously charged for their roles in the scheme.
The charges allege all three participated in a scheme to smuggle Rodriguez-Sanchez’s minor child into the United States.
On Oct. 2, 2025, Luciano allegedly attempted to bring the minor into the country by bus in exchange for $5,000. Luciano was a stranger to the child, according to the allegations.
The complaint alleges he provided a birth certificate and claimed the child as his own, but authorities later determined the document belonged to another child.
Jaimes-Hernandez had allegedly provided the birth certificate in exchange for $1,000 to facilitate the smuggling attempt.
If convicted, Rodriguez-Sanchez and Jaimes-Hernandez face up to 10 years in federal prison for their respective roles as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Luciano previously pleaded guilty and could also receive up to 10 years.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Manuel A. Cardenas Jr. is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint or indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Convicted felon illegal alien convicted for unlawfully being in United StatesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 36-year-old Mexican national illegally residing in Bryan has been found guilty of unlawfully reentering the country without authorization, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G. E. Marck.
A federal jury deliberated less than three hours before finding Luis Alberto Banda Acosta guilty following a three-day trial.
The jury heard that on Feb. 4, 2024, authorities conducted a traffic stop on a pickup truck Banda was driving.
Evidence showed Banda has multiple felony convictions, including failure to identify, possession of a controlled substance and driving while intoxicated. The jury also heard that he had been previously removed from the United States on two occasions.
The defense attempted to convince the jury Banda was involuntarily present in the country under duress, was kidnapped and forced to swim across the border. However, the jury heard evidence that he was freely and voluntarily residing in the United States to include his travel to many places, receiving pay stubs and making purchases at a lingerie store.
The jury did not believe Banda’s claims and found him guilty as charged. They also rejected testimony from a defense expert, disregarding his statements about kidnappings and forced entries into the United States.
U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen presided over trial and set sentencing for June 30. At that time, Banda faces up to two years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Alum and Lauren Valenti prosecuted the case with research assistance from Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carrie Law and Robin Whitney.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Three sentenced for roles in deadly transnational human smuggling operation following HSTF and JTFA investigationRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – More sentences have been imposed in a human smuggling conspiracy that resulted in the death of a Guatemalan man and several other dangerous events, including a rollover crash, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Dagoberto Mizzael Flores, 25, Laredo, and Mexican nationals David Alejandro Gomez-Flores, 30, and Martha Angelica Limon Parra, 30, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport an illegal alien causing serious bodily injury and resulting in death.
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo has now imposed a 240-month-term of imprisonment for Gomez-Flores, while Parra and Flores received sentences of 135 months and 60 months, respectively. Not U.S. citizens, Gomez-Flores and Parra are expected to face removal proceedings, while Flores must also serve three years of supervised release following his imprisonment.
At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence describing numerous instances in which aliens transported by the organization had to be “rescued” or were otherwise injured during their journeys. The court also heard evidence regarding Gomez-Flores’ involvement with Los Fantasmas, a Laredo-based gang working with Cartel del Noreste to smuggle aliens once they reached the United States. In imposing sentence, Judge Marmolejo emphasized the extensive and lucrative nature of the operation—which involved the movement of thousands of aliens—and each defendant’s reckless disregard for human life.
Mexican national Cynthia Gabriela Muniz-Carreon, 31, and Guatemalan national Edy Lima-Flores, 38, also pleaded guilty and were previously sentenced to 135 and 240 months, respectively. Lima Flores was also ordered to pay a $150,000 fine.
All five were part of a transnational human smuggling organization responsible for moving illegal aliens across the southern border of Texas. In one week alone, the organization generated approximately $79,000 in smuggling proceeds.
Authorities identified Muniz-Carreon and Parra as Mexico-based coordinators for the organization. Evidence showed that both participated in a WhatsApp group chat titled “La Oficina,” which the organization used to coordinate human smuggling activity. The group maintained detailed ledgers and color-coded spreadsheets.
Although many of the aliens were from Guatemala, the smuggling group instructed them to falsely claim Mexican nationality. This tactic exploited U.S. immigration procedure by ensuring the aliens would be removed to Mexico instead of their home country which made it faster and easier for the organization to smuggle them back into the United States.
Lima-Flores was the organization’s Laredo-based transportation coordinator who hired Flores, while Gomez-Flores served as stash house coordinator responsible for receiving aliens from Mexico and illegally harboring them in Laredo. Gomez-Flores had been involved with the organization since at least 2022 and received more than $330,000 for helping conceal and transport aliens illegally.
On July 2, 2024, Flores was driving a Ford F-150 transporting aliens. He fled when authorities attempted a traffic stop. The aliens scattered into the brush, including a Guatemalan national who became separated from the group. The investigation revealed he had repeatedly contacted Lima-Flores and Muniz-Carreon asking for help and sharing his location. Muniz-Carreon told him to stay well hidden and be patient. Authorities later found him deceased. His cause of death was determined to be from heat exhaustion, with temperatures reaching 100 degrees that day.
The investigation also revealed additional smuggling incidents dating back to 2022, including one in which an alien became so weak and delirious that he could no longer walk through the brush. Authorities also linked the same organization to a smuggling event April 19, 2024, that resulted in a rollover crash near Laredo. A Guatemalan alien involved in the crash suffered serious back injuries and required hospitalization.
Gomez-Flores, Parra and Flores have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations, Laredo Police Department Gang Unit, Border Patrol, Texas Department of Public Safety, Encinal Police Department, Customs and Border Protection and CBP Air and Marine Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer L. Day prosecuted the case.
This operation is now part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF South Texas comprises agents and officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Invesitgations; FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation/IRS; Interpol/Department of State and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas leading the prosecution.
The investigation and charges are also a result of coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha, a partnership with Department of Homeland Security which has been elevated and expanded with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, Districts of Arizona and New Mexico and Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Office of Enforcement Operations and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and other partners.
To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 455 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 400 U.S. convictions; more than 350 significant jail sentences imposed and forfeitures of substantial assets.
South Texas woman arrested for posing as federal agent in two separate fraud schemesRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 29-year-old Brownsville resident is now in federal custody for impersonating a federal agent and wire fraud, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Mayra Collins is expected to make her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Julie Hampton April 30 at 9:45 a.m.
According to the now unsealed five-count indictment, Collins fraudulently posed as a federal agent with various agencies in 2022 and again in 2025.
She had first allegedly posed as an immigration officer employed by the United States to carry out a Visa fraud scheme. The charges allege she falsely represented she could expedite the process for obtaining U.S. Visas and took money from four victims.
In 2025, Collins pretended to be a Border Patrol agent with influence in the hiring of employees, according to the indictment. She allegedly told another victim there were job positions available, but they would have to send money to her for uniforms and ballistic vests prior to beginning employment.
The charges allege Collins never worked for the United States and had no power to provide victims of her schemes with Visas or employment with BP.
If convicted, Collins faces up to 20 years in federal prison for the two wire fraud counts as well as another three years for the impersonation charges. She could also be ordered to pay a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
CBP - Office of Professional Responsibility conducted the investigation in a coordinated effort with the FBI’s McAllen Border Corruption Task Force with assistance from the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Bird and Tyler Foster are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Alleged shooter who posted videos on social media faces federal chargesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 36-year-old Michigan man known as Allstar JR, who allegedly opened fire at a Houston restaurant, is now in custody for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Jeremy Christopher Ford made his initial appearance in Detroit, Michigan. He remains in custody pending a detention hearing set for April 27.
Ford allegedly possessed a handgun during a shooting April 8 at a restaurant on Kirby Drive in Houston. According to the criminal complaint, authorities responded to reports of a shooting in progress and discovered two gunshot victims at the scene. Court documents allege gunfire also struck a third person.
The charges allege Ford was involved in a confrontation with several individuals inside the restaurant, during which a handgun fell to the floor. Ford picked it up and began firing as people fled, according to the allegations. He allegedly continued shooting as individuals ran towards an elevator but returned to where one victim lay motionless on the ground and fired additional rounds into that individual.
Law enforcement located a handgun Ford allegedly hid at the scene before fleeing, according to the charges.
The complaint also alleges Ford later posted multiple videos on social media referencing and taunting individuals involved in the altercation and released a music video that referred to the shooting.
Court documents further allege Ford has a prior felony conviction. As such, federal law prohibits him from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
If convicted of these charges, Ford faces up to 15 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
The FBI conducted the investigation with assistance of Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Keri L. Fuller is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.