Western District of Texas
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Illegal Alien Found Guilty of Illegal Re-Entry into the United States After a Two-Day Jury TrialRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A federal jury in Del Rio convicted an illegal alien from Nicaragua for illegal re-entry on Wednesday, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Darwing Alberto Varela, was arrested in December 2025 after being rescued out of the water on the U.S. side of the Rio Grande River. During an immigration inspection with U.S. Border Patrol agents, Varela admitted that he swam across the river from Mexico to enter the U.S., that he was a citizen of Nicaragua, and that he had been previously deported from the U.S.
Concluding a two-day trial presided over by U.S. District Judge Ernest Gonzalez, the federal jury returned a guilty verdict in just four minutes.
“The Western District of Texas has the largest caseload in the nation, and, as here, we handle those cases with excellence,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “I am proud of our entire prosecution team for their work on this open-and-shut case and coming to work every day committed to doing the next right thing.”
The U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carli Tuttle and Steven Shilling are prosecuting the case.
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Two Mexican Nationals Plead Guilty to Alien Smuggling and Providing Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist OrganizationRead the Press Release
Two Mexican nationals pleaded guilty today to multiple charges including alien smuggling and providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, specifically, Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG).
“The defendants smuggled methamphetamine and aliens into the United States for financial gain, then doubled down to make more money by conspiring to export AK-47 style weapons and .50 caliber rifles to Mexico for CJNG, a terrorist organization that has destroyed lives and caused death in our great country,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The defendant’s conduct directly threatened the national security of the United States and the well-being of American citizens.”
“The Trump Administration’s designation of CJNG as foreign terrorist organization, along with 19 other cartels and transnational criminal organizations, gives us another powerful tool in our fight against those who place their profits over the lives and wellbeing of others,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “The conviction of Navarro Sanchez for providing support to a foreign terrorist organization is one of many to come as we continue to hit these FTOs where they are most vulnerable — their pocketbooks. I am very proud of our Assistant U.S. Attorneys and our law enforcement partners with the Homeland Security Task Force for their work in making this conviction possible.”
“This is but two more guilty pleas added in DEA’s long and sustained efforts against CJNG and its supporters,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert “Eric” Castañeda of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) El Paso Division. “Charges now carry more weight under CJNG’s designation as a foreign terrorist organization. Anyone seeking to profit from the deaths of Americans, no matter their level of involvement, will be brought to justice.”
According to court documents, Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez, 40, of Mexico, conspired with others to provide material support to CJNG by trafficking firearms from the United States to Mexico, for the express purpose of delivering those firearms to members of the CJNG. Navarro Sanchez knew CJNG engaged in terrorist activities, including hostage taking, committing assassinations, and using explosives, firearms, and weapons in support of these activities. Navarro Sanchez also admitted that she contracted with alien smugglers to illegally bring individuals from Mexico into the United States. At least one of these individuals managed some of Navarro Sanchez’s stash houses in El Paso, Texas where Navarro Sanchez would warehouse firearms and narcotics.
In early August 2023, Navarro Sanchez negotiated a deal to purchase twenty AK-47 style weapons and two .50 caliber rifles from undercover agents. The firearms were intended to be placed in the possession of individuals who would unlawfully smuggle those firearms to Mexico where those firearms would then be used in furtherance of trafficking methamphetamine and other narcotics from Mexico into the United States. Coconspirator Gustavo Castro-Medina, 29, of Mexico, also acknowledged that these firearms were intended to be unlawfully exported from the United States into Mexico in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.
Castro-Medina served as an intermediary to facilitate the interstate and foreign transfer of $3,000 in U.S. currency via wire to an undercover agent to purchase these firearms for subsequent unlawful transport. The $3,000 was a downpayment on the purchase price of $66,000 in U.S. currency. On Aug. 21, 2023, two co-conspirators of Navarro Sanchez and Castro-Medina arrived at a designated meeting point in El Paso to tender the remaining payment of $63,000 in cash and take possession of the firearms. Once the cash was exchanged, the undercover agents turned over possession of the firearms to the co-conspirators. These co-conspirators were then arrested by waiting agents.
In addition, Castro-Medina also admitted that he was stopped by U.S. Border Patrol in November 2020 driving a Nissan Sentra in Sierra Blanca, Texas. During a secondary inspection of the vehicle, Border Patrol Agents found several tape-wrapped bundles covered in transmission fluid located beneath a non-factory trap door. The bundle tested positive for the properties of crystal methamphetamine. The total weight of the methamphetamine was 36.36 kilograms.
Navarro Sanchez, Castro-Medina, and their co-conspirators were indicted in April 2025. The Government of Mexico, pursuant to its National Security Law, subsequently transferred Navarro Sanchez and Castro-Medina to the United States.
Navarro Sanchez pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of conspiracy to engage in firearms trafficking, one count of conspiracy to bring aliens, and one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Navarro Sanchez faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Castro-Medina pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of conspiracy to engage in firearms trafficking. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Castro-Medina faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, DEA, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in El Paso, assisted by the U.S. Border Patrol, investigated the case. ATF Legal Attachés in Mexico City and Mexico’s Fiscalía General de la República Organized Crime Unit (FGR-FEMDO) provided substantial assistance. HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. and CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force also provided assistance with the investigation. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance.
Trial Attorney Marie Zisa of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ian Hanna and Gregory McDonald for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
The investigation and superseding 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 Assistant U.S. Attorneys 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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including HSI and Customs and Border Protection U.S. Border Patrol and Office of Field Operations, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 482 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 433 U.S. convictions; and more than 369 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (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.
San Antonio Felon Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Federal Prison for ATM BombingsRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio felon was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 140 months in prison for two charges related to ATM explosions in September 2025 and his illegal possession of multiple firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, Dustin Jay Ammons, 44, attempted to destroy ATMs at two San Antonio banks on Sept. 12 and Sept. 26, 2025. Surveillance video showed Ammons arriving at the banks in a black Ram 3500 pickup truck, wearing black gloves with a skeleton hand design, a black hooded jacket or sweatshirt, dark blue pants, and black and white training shoes, and placing pipe bombs at the ATMs. The footage from both videos also showed explosions that resulted in unsuccessful breaches of the machines.
On Dec. 12, 2025, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives executed a federal search warrant at Ammons’s residence. Inside the garage, agents discovered a homemade explosives lab containing Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate (PETN). Agents also located firearms (including a 9mm short-barreled rifle), magazines, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition throughout the house, as well as a pipe bomb in Ammons’s vehicle.
ATF queried the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR) for Ammons and his address, and found no firearms, short-barreled rifles or destructive devices registered to him. Additionally, Ammons does not possess a license or permit allowing him to possess, manufacture, transfer, or ship explosive materials such as PETN.
Ammons has multiple prior felony convictions, including assault/family violence, possession of a stolen firearm, possession of burglary tools, and multiple counts of theft and burglary of a building. On April 30, he pleaded guilty to one count of felon in possession of a firearm and one count of transporting explosives. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez sentenced Ammons to 120 months in federal prison for the explosives charge and 140 months for the felon in possession charge, both penalties to be served concurrently.
The ATF, FBI, and San Antonio Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the San Antonio Arson and Bomb Squad and Bexar County Fire Marshal.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Wannarka prosecuted the case.
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U.S. Attorney Announces Surge in Federal Violent Crime Prosecutions in AustinRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas Justin R. Simmons announced on Tuesday that assistant U.S. attorneys in Austin have filed approximately 40 federal cases against defendants for gun-related crimes in recent months.
Simmons made the announcement in a press conference, joined by representatives from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Austin Police Department. He said that, as part of an initiative to tackle violent crime in the community, his team has worked closely with the federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, as well as the Travis County District Attorney’s Office, to identify cases for federal prosecution.
“It is imperative that we focus our law enforcement resources and efforts on individuals who commit violent crimes, especially when those crimes are committed with firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “According to data from the Major Cities Police Chiefs Association, Homicides in Austin are up 187% since 2015. Rape and Aggravated assault are up 65% and 38% respectively during that same period. Many of these crimes are committed by bad guys with guns. Just this year, we’ve seen multiple violent criminals engage in acts which endangered the lives of peace-loving Austinites, including the March 1st shooting on 6th Street. It’s plain to see that gun crime poses a significant threat to the law-abiding citizens of Austin, and the U.S. Attorney’s office takes that threat seriously. Our goal through this initiative is to emphasize that felons, or anyone else, who illegally possess or uses firearms will face serious consequences.”
“ATF is proud to stand alongside our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in this united effort to make Austin safer and hold violent offenders accountable,” said ATF Houston Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel. “Our agency brings unique expertise in firearms investigations, and we remain committed to disrupting those who use firearms to facilitate violent crime by working with our partners to ensure dangerous offenders face the consequences of their actions. This partnership is a powerful example of what we can accomplish when law enforcement agencies work together toward protecting our communities.”
Simmons highlighted multiple significant cases the Western District of Texas attorneys are currently prosecuting, including charges for felon in possession of a firearm, drug trafficking, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and illegal possession of machine guns. The penalties for convicted defendants include 10-, 15-, and 30-year minimums with maximum penalties for some reaching life in federal prison.
“It is true that this U.S. Attorney’s Office and others across the Department of Justice are prosecuting immigration crimes, taking on alien smugglers, drug traffickers, and Mexican cartels designated as foreign terrorist organizations,” Simmons added. “But we have not let up on our overall mission to ensure individuals who seek to harm our neighbors, friends, and loved ones, by violating federal laws with no regard for human life, are met with the full weight of the U.S. Department of Justice. We do this as law enforcement professionals so that Americans can live their lives, enjoy the blessings of liberty, and pursue happiness.”
An indictment/criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Federal Prosecutors Continue to File Hundreds of Weekly Immigration Cases in Western District of TexasRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 235 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from August 14 through August 20, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. Charges were brought against several alleged alien smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for numerous DWIs, violent crimes, thefts, and multiple prior removals.
Among the new cases, U.S. citizen Pablo Clark-Guillen was arrested and charged with alien smuggling. A criminal complaint alleges that Clark-Guillen, who has previously been convicted for alien smuggling, conspired to pick up an illegal alien from India in Fabens on August 18. The complaint alleges that when agents approached Clark-Guillen and ordered him to turn off his van, Clark-Guillen complied but broke his phone in an effort to destroy evidence, cutting his hands in the process. In addition to his prior smuggling conviction in 2024, Clark-Guillen has three prior DWI convictions.
Also on August 18, U.S. Border Patrol agents investigating two separate alien smuggling events followed a vehicle to a residence in El Paso. The agents conducted an immigration inspection and confirmed that the driver, Aldo David Manjarrez-Vazquez, was an illegal alien. A criminal complaint alleges that Manjarrez-Vazquez had worked as an alien pickup driver and coordinator since March 2024, receiving approximately $720 per alien he picked up and making $250 as a coordinator. Manjarrez-Vazquez is alleged to have picked up and transported more than 10 illegal aliens in the El Paso and Tornillo areas.
Jesus Gamboa-Chavez, an illegal alien from Mexico, was charged with alien smuggling after a Texas Department of Public Safety (TXDPS) trooper conducted a traffic stop and requested assistance from Homeland Security Investigations. A criminal complaint alleges that further investigation led agents to a stash house in El Paso that Gamboa-Chavez was renting. A joint operation with HSI, USBP, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, and TXDPS, resulted in the apprehension of 16 illegal aliens from various Central and South American countries, two of whom were minor children. One of the children was unaccompanied.
In Del Rio, USBP agents arrested Luis Alfredo Navarette-Pastrana, an illegal alien from Mexico, who was just deported for the second time in June following a conviction for illegal entry. In 2020, Navarette-Pastrana was convicted for driving without a license and reckless homicide.
Alejandro Diaz-Martinez, an illegal alien from Mexico, was arrested in El Indio and charged with illegal re-entry. He was convicted in March for his third DWI and sentenced to a two-year imprisonment. He was then deported on July 5.
Illegal alien from Guatemala Ronald Samuel Lapop-Galicia, aka Ronald Carbajal, was transferred into ICE custody after being found in Travis County. Lapop-Galicia has five prior removals in his immigration history and has been previously convicted of four DWIs. He is charged with illegal re-entry.
Mario Daniel Campos-Segura was also found in Travis County and transferred into ICE custody. Campos-Segura is an illegal alien from Mexico who has been removed from the U.S. twice and has been twice convicted of DWI. Campos-Segura is charged with illegal re-entry.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Lubbock Ponzi Schemers Face up to 70 Years in Federal Prison Following Guilty Verdict in San AntonioRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A federal jury convicted two Lubbock men in San Antonio Tuesday afternoon for their roles in a massive Ponzi fraud scheme with their already convicted co-defendant Brooklynn Chandler Willy of San Antonio, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Joshua Allen and Michael Cox jointly owned and controlled four investment companies: Ferrum Capital LLC, Ferrum II LLC, Ferrum III LLC, and Ferrum IV LLC. Allen, Cox, Willy and others acting at their direction, solicited victims to invest in these entities. Willy, who pleaded guilty to 10 counts in March, was the owner of Chandler Capital Holdings and Queen B Advisory LLC doing business as Texas Financial Advisory (TFA). Among other services, TFA purported to provide asset management and financial planning services.
Allen, Cox and Willy conspired to mislead the victims concerning the security of the investments and concealed their high commissions. Additionally, Allen and Cox lied about the nature of the investments. Hundreds of victims collectively lost millions of dollars. Much of that money went to pay earlier investor-victims, thereby concealing the scheme and attracting additional victims. Much of the money also directly benefited the co-conspirators themselves.
On Tuesday, concluding a weeklong trial presided over by U.S. District Judge Fred Biery, the jury convicted both Allen and Cox of all four counts: conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, and securities fraud.
“In the midst of this Ponzi scheme, Allen and Cox collected a handsome fee by telling various egregious lies, even using their self-proclaimed faith and reputation in their community to con the investors they victimized,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “This case shows that within the Western District of Texas and across the Department of Justice, we are resolved to prosecute cases like these where individuals have preyed on the innocence and trusting nature of everyday Americans as Michael Cox and Joshua Allen did here.”
“This case took years to unravel: tracing the money, interviewing witnesses, and working with our FBI partners to find more victims of this despicable Ponzi scheme. Allen and Cox preyed on their closest friends, their community, and many others across the country. They took millions of dollars to enrich themselves while devastating lives along the way. To say they violated trust is grossly insufficient — they destroyed it,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr. of IRS CI’s Texas Field Office. “Our work with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office cannot undo the victims’ suffering, but this verdict may provide some measure of satisfaction that these criminals will pay for their financial crimes. The women and men of IRS-CI will continue to band together with their law enforcement partners to pursue those who commit financial crimes and steal from trusting individuals.”
“These convictions send an important message,” said FBI San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Daniel Faith. “When someone chooses greed over integrity and abuses the trust of others for illicit personal gain, there are serious consequences.”
Now convicted on all four counts, Allen and Cox both face up to 70 years in prison. They were taken into federal custody immediately following the verdict. Their sentencing hearings have not been scheduled at this time.
Willy’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Dec. 14. She faces up to 20 years in prison on each of the six wire fraud charges, on the one wire fraud conspiracy charge, and on the one money laundering conspiracy charge. She also faces up to 10 years for engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from the wire fraud scheme and a mandatory minimum of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft, which, by statute, would run consecutive to any other punishment.
IRS-CI and the FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joe Blackwell and Sam Shapiro are prosecuting the case.
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Del Rio Fugitive Self-Surrenders, Makes Initial Court Appearance in Alien Smuggling CaseRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – One of the two fugitives indicted for her alleged involvement in an attempted fatal alien smuggling operation that resulted in multiple illegal aliens being found dead inside a shipping container in May is now in custody, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, Karina Garcia, 37, of Del Rio, made her initial appearance in federal court Tuesday afternoon in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew Watters. Garcia self-surrendered Sunday at a port of entry in Del Rio, following an investigation led by the U.S. Border Patrol Intelligence Division, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Marshals.
Garcia is alleged to have played a key role in the smuggling operation that spanned approximately three years and illegally used cargo trains to smuggle aliens further into the United States after illegally crossing them from Mexico. Each smuggled alien, or their families and friends, paid smugglers in Honduras, Mexico, the United States, and elsewhere between $1,500 and $10,000.
Garcia was indicted in July and charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death and one count of aiding and abetting transport of illegal aliens resulting in death. If convicted, Garcia will face up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Eight other defendants were arrested over a multi-day Homeland Security Task Force operation across central and south Texas last month. Mayra Alejandra Huerta was arrested in Del Rio on May 12. Seferino Huerta-Casillas is now the only indicted co-defendant still at large.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Spears, Todd Keagle, and Ashley Ellis-Dotson are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (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 United States 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 comprises agents and officers from FBI; ICE HSI; DEA; ATF; U.S. Border Patrol; USMS; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation; IRS Criminal Investigation; Texas Department of Public Safety; as well as local police departments and sheriff’s offices, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
The law enforcement efforts announced today were coordinated 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). JTFA also leads and supports U.S. Attorneys’ Offices (USAOs) in the prosecution of crimes related to unaccompanied alien children (UACs). 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 Assistant U.S. Attorneys 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 HSI and CBP/USBP and Office of Field Operations, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 477 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 431 U.S. convictions; and more than 370 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Federal Jury Finds New Braunfels Man Guilty of Trafficking Thousands of Firearms to MexicoRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Demonstrating the continued effectiveness of the Homeland Security Task Force, a federal jury convicted a New Braunfels man on Monday for seven counts related to the smuggling of firearm parts into Mexico and conspiracy to commit money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Chandler Britain Bradford, 37, engaged in a multimillion-dollar scheme to illegally provide thousands of semi-automatic rifles to a Mexican citizen who resided in the Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico area. Bradford supplied enough firearm parts to arm the recipient with approximately 5,700 semi-automatic rifles, despite not having a license to export firearm parts from the United States to Mexico.
Evidence presented throughout the trial proved that Bradford provided his co-conspirator with the parts, tools, and counsel needed to facilitate a full firearm manufacturing enterprise in northern Mexico, and that Bradford received more than $3.5 million from his co-conspirator.
“Chandler Bradford played a key role in a complex scheme, knowing that drug cartels were using the firearms he smuggled to secure their territory and the routes they routinely use to push drugs into the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “Like the drug cartels, Bradford only cared about the money he was making through his criminal activity and cared nothing about the many American lives that would be harmed as a result of his operation. On the other side of this fight, I’m proud of our law enforcement partners and our Assistant U.S. Attorneys who woke up every day during the course of this prosecution fully committed to the mission of the Department of Justice and the entire United States government to aggressively pursue anyone who supports the operations of Mexican drug cartels. Their commitment to consistently do the next right thing was essential in this case and in every case because that commitment ensures that this country is one where Americans can live their lives, enjoy the blessings of liberty, and pursue happiness.”
“This conviction demonstrates the consequences of illegally trafficking firearms and firearm components across our borders,” said ATF Houston Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel. “The defendant provided the means and expertise to facilitate the illegal manufacture of thousands of firearms for a criminal market in Mexico, all for financial gain. ATF will continue to work alongside our federal, local, and international partners to dismantle those who profit from these illicit activities.”
Julio Gomez-Mendoza is a federally indicted fugitive. Anyone with information as to their whereabouts is encouraged to call the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives tipline at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477) or email ATF at [email protected].A federal jury delivered its verdict late Monday afternoon, ending a weeklong trial and convicting Bradford of one count of conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States, one count of conspiracy to transfer firearms for use in a felony, four counts of aiding and abetting the smuggling of goods from the United States, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Bradford faces up to 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Octavio Quiroga-Trevino is a federally indicted fugitive. Anyone with information as to their whereabouts is encouraged to call the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives tipline at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477) or email ATF at [email protected].Two co-defendants, Jose Francisco Garcia-Cervantes and Ricardo Rodriguez-Sotelo, were sentenced to federal prison in January 2025. Co-defendants Troy Vernon Erbe and Jesus Guzman-Delgado have pleaded guilty. Two additional co-conspirators charged in the case, Julio Gomez-Mendoza and Octavio Quiroga-Trevino, remain fugitives at large.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Department of Commerce Office of Export Enforcement and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Nowinski and Ryan Groomer are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (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 United States 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 comprises agents and officers from FBI; ICE HSI; DEA; ATF; U.S. Border Patrol; USMS; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation; IRS Criminal Investigation; Texas Department of Public Safety; as well as local police departments and sheriff’s offices, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Adds Nearly 300 New Immigration Cases in Western District of TexasRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 292 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from August 7 through August 13, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. Charges were brought against alien smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for numerous DWIs, violent crimes, thefts, and multiple prior removals.
Among the new cases, illegal alien from Mexico Marco Antonio Dominguez-Barranco aka Isaias Salvador Gonzalez Jr., allegedly presented himself to U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry using a U.S. passport baring his photo but another individual’s name and date of birth. A criminal complaint affidavit alleges that Dominguez-Barranco stated he was looking for his godchildren, causing CBP officers to suspect he may have been associated with a recent smuggling event involving two minors. According to the allegations in the affidavit, Dominguez-Barranco admitted that he had participated in the smuggling event, crossed back into Mexico, and was returning illegally to the U.S. in order to transport the children to Denver, Colorado. Dominguez-Barranco is now charged with alien smuggling.
Erick Manuel Martinez-Mendez, an illegal alien from Cuba, allegedly made misrepresentations to gain entry to the United States through the Paso Del Norte POE. A criminal complaint affidavit alleges Martinez-Mendez presented a State of Texas birth certificate and a copy of a Texas identification card with the name and date of birth of another individual. Martinez-Mendez allegedly claimed that he lived in El Paso and had been in Mexico to visit his hospitalized mother. A fingerprint scan revealed Martinez-Mendez’s identity and that he had been removed from the United States in November 2025. Furthermore, his criminal record includes convictions for robbery/home invasion/armed kidnapping, for which he was sentenced to 17 years in prison; third-degree grand theft and dealing in stolen property, for which he was sentenced to five years in prison; aggravated battery of a person detained in prison, which earned him a six-year prison sentence; and, most recently, smuggling contraband into prison and resisting an officer/battery on law enforcement, for which he was sentenced to four years and eight months.
U.S. citizen Magdalena Lachica was charged with harboring illegal aliens after U.S. Border Patrol agents discovered 14 illegal aliens inside a residence Lachica was allegedly renting. A criminal complaint affidavit alleges that Lachica’s cell phone contained communications involving alien smuggling, including alien dropoff locations, multiple stash house addresses, and co-conspirator information. Agents also allegedly discovered proof of life videos on her phone.
USBP agents conducted a traffic stop for suspected alien smuggling on Highway 277 near Brackettville. A criminal complaint alleges that several occupants fled the vehicle. One of the fleeing occupants, Yunior Omar Arita-Trimino, an illegal alien from Honduras, allegedly shoved an agent in the upper chest and arms, resisted arrest, and struck the agent multiple times with a black bag before breaking free into oncoming highway traffic. Arita-Trimino was ultimately arrested and charged with assaulting and resisting a federal officer engaged in performance of official duties.
An illegal alien from Brazil was arrested near Eagle Pass and charged with illegal re-entry. Fabio De Carvalho Fernandes has been deported from the U.S. three times, the last being in December 2014, following a felony conviction for bringing in and harboring aliens.
Francisco Gallegos-Garza, an illegal alien from Mexico, was arrested near Del Rio. Gallegos-Garza also has three prior deportations, the last being in June 2019. His criminal record includes two DWI convictions, assault causing bodily injury, and a felony for injury to a child with intent to inflict bodily injury.
In Austin, illegal alien from Mexico Ranferie Monroy Escuadra is charged with illegal re-entry after being found in the Travis County Jail, where he was booked for unlawfully carrying a weapon. Escuadra has been removed from the U.S. twice, the last being in November 2020, and he has three DWI convictions on his criminal record.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
These 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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Illegal Alien Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal Prison for Leadership Role in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – An illegal alien from Mexico was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 420 months in prison for his role in a criminal conspiracy to import methamphetamine and heroin into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, Juan Alberto Gutierrez-Guerra, 36, was one of five occupants in a vehicle pulled over by Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office deputies on Oct. 4, 2021. Inside the vehicle, law enforcement officers located a backpack with 10 bundles containing methamphetamine and one bundle containing heroin. An investigation revealed that Gutierrez-Guerra and co-defendant Oscar David Perez-Arita conspired together, intending to smuggle the narcotics to San Antonio before returning to Mexico.
Gutierrez-Guerra and Perez-Arita were named in a five-count indictment on Nov. 3, 2021. On May 16, 2022, Gutierrez-Guerra pleaded guilty to all five counts. Perez-Arita pleaded guilty only to count one, conspiracy to import methamphetamine, and was sentenced in November 2025 to 292 months in federal prison with credit for time served since the Oct. 4, 2021 arrest.
Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses presided over the case.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Miner 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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Illegal Alien Convicted in Homeland Security Task Force Case Involving Deadly Alien Smuggling OperationRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – Furthering the achievements of the Homeland Security Task Force, a federal jury in El Paso convicted an illegal alien from Mexico of five counts for his role in a deadly conspiracy to smuggle and harbor illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Juan Carlos Lara-Quezada aka Ironman, was a leader of an alien smuggling organization operating in the Western District of Texas and District of New Mexico. The organization is responsible for smuggling hundreds of illegal aliens into the U.S. via the desert in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. After successfully entering the U.S., the aliens were picked up and then driven to a stash house in El Paso where they would remain until they were transported further into the United States.
In 2024, the organization smuggled a woman and her son-in-law into the U.S., using a foot guide to lead them on an eight-hour journey through the desert. On the journey, the woman fell ill. The smugglers were directed to drop her off at an El Paso hospital instead of the stash house. En route to the hospital, the foot guide and driver instead abandoned the woman and her son-in-law on the sidewalk of a residential neighborhood. A passing motorist noticed the two abandoned aliens and called emergency services. The woman was transported to a hospital where she was pronounced dead due to environmental heat exposure.
An investigation led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations resulted in Lara-Quezada’s arrest on Dec. 20, 2024. He was charged in a second superseding indictment on April 2, 2025, with conspiracy to transport aliens resulting in death, conspiracy to harbor aliens, transporting aliens resulting in death, conspiracy to bring in aliens, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Now convicted om all five charges, Lara-Quezada is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 2.
Three co-defendants were sentenced earlier this year. Juan David Vaquera-Guerrero aka Cone aka Sonic was sentenced to 46 months in prison on April 2. Carlos Omar Lara-Muniz aka Goofy was sentenced to 57 months in prison on April 16. On April 21, Ruben Esquivel-Gomez aka Guero was sentenced to 72 months in prison. All defendants in the case are illegal aliens from Mexico and were charged with the death of the smuggled alien.
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone presides over the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mathew Engelbaum and Michael Williams are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (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 United States 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 comprises agents and officers from FBI; ICE HSI; DEA; ATF; U.S. Border Patrol; USMS; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation; IRS Criminal Investigation; Texas Department of Public Safety; as well as local police departments and sheriff’s offices, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
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Illegal Alien from Ecuador Caught with Hidden App Containing Child Pornography, Will Spend 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – An illegal alien from Ecuador was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 10 years in prison for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, on June 15, 2025, U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered Jefferson Chancay-Sanchez, 26, with a group of individuals near Uvalde. Chancay-Sanchez had unlawfully entered the U.S. near the Eagle Pass Port of Entry and was placed under arrest. A search of his cellphone led to the discovery of an application disguised as a calculator, a method typically used to hide criminal behavior. When questioned about the app, Chancay-Sanchez, who was visibly nervous, stated it contained personal photographs of his girlfriend. Further investigation of the app revealed multiple photos which were sexually explicit in nature, including multiple images depicting child genitalia.
Chancay-Sanchez admitted to downloading the CSAM from WhatsApp and saving it to the hidden folder on his phone. A forensic examination of his cellphone resulted in the discovery of 31 images and one video depicting CSAM. An additional 48 images and 15 videos were located and considered to be child erotica material. Some of the CSAM depicted toddlers, prepubescent, and adolescent males and females engaged in sexual activity.
Chancay-Sanchez was named in a two-count indictment on July 16, 2025, and charged with one count of transportation of child pornography and one count of possession and access with intent to view child prepubescent pornography. He pleaded guilty to both counts on Dec. 22, 2025. U.S. District Judge Ernest Gonzalez presided over the case.
The U.S. Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Ellis-Dotson and Nallely Duarte prosecuted the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Shilling handled the sentencing.
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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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August Underway with 271 New Federal Immigration Cases in Western District of TexasRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 271 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from July 31 through August 6, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. Charges were brought against alien smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for numerous DWIs, violent crimes, thefts, and multiple prior removals.
Among the new cases, illegal alien from Mexico Karla Yaslin Montes-Esparza is charged with bringing in and harboring aliens. According to a criminal complaint, U.S. Border Patrol agents requested and received consent to view, search and utilize the cellphones of two arrested illegal aliens on July 23. The agents allegedly discovered the aliens had jointly paid a smuggler in Juarez, Mexico, $1,500 for their illegal passage into the United States. USBP agents allege the smuggler was linked to Montes-Esparza, who then attempted to gain entry into the U.S. via the Ysleta Port of Entry on July 31. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers determined that Montes-Esparza allegedly received $1,500 for aiding in the smuggling of two illegal aliens on July 23. Additionally, CBP officers determined Montes-Esparza had allegedly assisted with the illegal entry, transportation, and furtherance of approximately 100 illegal aliens, from which she received approximately $83,174. The criminal complaint alleges Montes-Esparza’s cellphone revealed multiple images and videos of proof of transportation and furtherance of several illegal aliens.
Ricardo Gonzalez-Aguirre aka Antonio Ybarra-Rodriguez aka Francisco Carranza-Salas, an illegal alien from Mexico, is charged with illegal re-entry. A criminal complaint alleges Gonzalez-Aguirre approached the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry on Aug. 2 and claimed to be a U.S. citizen born in Cameron. Gonzalez-Aguirre allegedly stated he was in the process of obtaining a new state identification card and therefore did not have documents. The complaint alleges Gonzalez-Aguirre provided the CBP officer with his name, date of birth and age, but the age did not correlate to the date of birth. Further inspection revealed that Gonzalez-Aguirre was an illegal alien previously removed from the U.S. for the third time in June 2024. His criminal record includes convictions for domestic violence and disorderly conduct, as well as burglary and grand larceny.
Illegal alien from Ecuador Gen Santiago Aguirre-Zapata was arrested by USBP near Eagle Pass and charged with illegal re-entry. He’s been deported only once, in October 2021, but has been previously convicted of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of stolen property exceeding $1,000 in value, forcible theft armed with a deadly weapon, murder with intent, and second-degree assault with intent to cause physical injury.
USBP agents also arrested Jose Luis Amador-Bonilla, an illegal alien from Guatemala, near Eagle Pass. Amador-Bonilla was deported for the fifth time in September 2025. He’s been twice convicted of illegal re-entry, as well as forgery, interference with a law enforcement officer and a DUI.
Arturo Vasquez De La Sancha, an illegal alien from Mexico, was found in the Travis County Jail and transferred into ICE custody. Vasquez De La Sancha was removed for the third time in July 2022. He was convicted of his third DWI in 2021 and had his temporary supervised release revoked in 2022. Vasquez De La Sancha has also been previously convicted of deadly conduct, discharge of a firearm and possession of a controlled substance. He’s now charged with his second illegal re-entry offense.
Roberto Quintanilla, also an illegal alien from Mexico, was found in Travis County and charged with illegal re-entry as well. Like Vasquez De La Sancha, Quintanilla has three DWI convictions on his criminal record. He has also been previously convicted of improper entry by an alien and illegal re-entry. He’s been removed from the United States three times.
Illegal alien from Mexico Jose Martin Velasquez-Monsivais was transferred into ICE custody from the Blanco County Jail and charged with illegal re-entry. Velasquez-Monsivais has previously been convicted of alien smuggling, escape while arrested/confined, and prohibited substance/item in a correctional or civil commitment facility. He was previously deported from the U.S. in 2020.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
These 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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Pflugerville Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Defrauding PPP Loan ProgramRead the Press Release
WACO, Texas – A Pflugerville woman was sentenced in federal court today to 21 months in prison for submitting fraudulent Paycheck Protection Loan (PPP) applications, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, on March 10, 2021, Aisha Jackson, 34, doing business as Logo Boosters, submitted a PPP application to a loan processor. The application contained false statements and documentation, including a fabricated voided check stub. Federal agents found that Jackson had opened the bank account reflected on the check stub in her own name but used the stolen social security number of a minor victim. Bank records showed that no checks were written from the account. Further investigation revealed that Jackson used the same victim’s social security number in 2016 to obtain a vehicle loan.
Agents also found that Jackson had submitted a false 2019 Schedule C, Profit or Loss from Business, using the business name Logo Boosters, and listing nearly $80,000 in net profit. Jackson did not file a 2019 Form 1040. Jackson received the PPP load deposit of $16,628 on March 15, 2021.
Less than two weeks later, on March 24, 2021, Jackson dba WCS Consulting, submitted another PPP loan application containing false statements and documentation. A review of Jackson’s bank records showed Jackson did not open the bank account until March 16, 2021, and used the same social security number belonging to a minor to open the account. As with her business, Logo Boosters, Jackson provided a false 2019 Schedule C with the business name WCS Consulting, listing a net profit of $53,900, and she did not file a 2019 Form 1040. Jackson completed and signed a PPP Loan Forgiveness Application Form on Oct. 5, 2021, indicating that she had complied with all requirements of the PPP rules.
The total loss to the U.S. Government amounted to $43,980 over three PPP loans received by Jackson. Jackson used the proceeds from her fraudulently received loans to purchase jewelry such as tennis bracelets and necklaces, two Rolex watches and a Cartier Santos watch.
Jackson was arrested on Jan. 15, 2025, and released on bond. On Jan. 13, 2026, she pleaded guilty to one count of false statement on a loan or credit application and one count of theft of government property. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Christopher Wolfe sentenced Jackson to serve 21 months in federal prison and pay the $43,980 in restitution. Judge Wolfe also ordered Jackson to forfeit the fraudulently purchased jewelry.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Gloff prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports 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.
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Honduran Sex Offender Sentenced in Del Rio to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Re-Entry into the U.S.Read the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – An illegal alien and convicted sex offender from Honduras was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 20 years in prison for attempting to enter the United States illegally, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, on Nov. 17, 2025, Noel Jose Funez-Antunez, 41, was encountered by U.S. Border Patrol agents near Eagle Pass. Funez-Antunez was questioned regarding his citizenship status, and he freely admitted to being a citizen of Honduras, and without legal permission to be present in the United States. He was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Eagle Pass South Border Patrol Station for processing. Further investigation into his criminal history revealed that Funez-Antunez was previously convicted of kidnapping, illegal re-entry into the United States, and sexual assault.
“This is the message that we need to send to anyone who is thinking of coming into the United States illegally,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “Here we have an illegal alien who has already been convicted multiple times in our country, who thought he would be able to sneak in and live a life of freedom. He instead was met by federal agents and Lady Justice, and will spend the next two decades in federal prison before he’s deported yet again.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nallely Duarte prosecuted the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Shilling handled the sentencing.
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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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BCSO Investigator Receives Freedom 250 Hometown Hero Award from U.S. Attorney for the Western District of TexasRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – In celebration of Freedom 250, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas Justin R. Simmons presented Bexar County Sheriff’s Office Violent Crimes Sergeant Che Lopez with the Freedom 250 Hometown Hero Award.
In honor of America’s 250 years of independence, the Hometown Hero award is being presented by U.S. Attorneys across the country. The award recognizes public officials who have demonstrated steadfast commitment to service in their communities and who embody the spirit upon which our Nation was founded.
“Here in the Western District of Texas, we pride ourselves on our partnerships between federal, state, and local law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “Sergeant Lopez’s work exemplifies the same pride in partnership and has led to a safer community. This Freedom 250 Hometown Hero Award serves as a token of gratitude from the United States for Lopez’s selfless service and dedication as a law enforcement officer.”
Sgt. Che Lopez (left), Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, receives the Freedom 250 Hometown Hero Award from U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas Justin R. Simmons (right) at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in San Antonio, Aug. 5, 2026.“Sergeant Lopez spearheads multi-agency investigations, collaborating closely with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners,” said Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar. “His professionalism, effective communication, and commitment to teamwork embody the values of the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.”
For more information on the award and the Freedom 250 initiative, visit the Department of Justice news page or White House Freedom 250 Page.
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Western District of Texas Ends July with 250 New Immigration CasesRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 250 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from July 24 through July 31, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. Charges were brought against human smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for numerous DWIs, violent crimes and sexual abuse, thefts, and multiple prior removals.
Among the new cases, Manuel Sanchez-Sanchez, an illegal alien from Mexico with a prior felony conviction of assault to commit rape, was arrested approximately four miles west of the Fort Hancock Port of Entry. Sanchez-Sanchez is charged with illegal re-entry having been previously removed from the United States in 2008.
Illegal alien from Mexico Reginaldo Cardona-Cardona was also arrested in Fort Hancock, less than two miles west of the POE. Cardona-Cardona has been previously removed from the U.S. three times, the last being in June 2024. He has an extensive criminal record that includes convictions for assault causing bodily injury, burglary of a building, a DWI, and two separate convictions for driving with an invalid license.
The ICE Fugitive Operations Team in El Paso encountered and arrested Francisco Ibarra-Quinones in El Paso as part of an investigation into aliens who have been previously removed from the U.S. and returned without permission. Ibarra-Quinones was previously deported in 2009, following a conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He’s now charged with illegal re-entry.
Ismael Guillermo Cedillo-Martinez, an illegal alien from Mexico who has been removed from the United States seven times, was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents near Eagle Pass and charged with illegal re-entry. Cedillo-Martinez has previously been convicted of three DWI charges, improper entry by an alien, and one illegal re-entry charge.
Illegal alien from Honduras Jose Efrain Corrales-Corrales was also arrested near Eagle Pass and charged with illegal re-entry. Corrales-Corrales was last deported on Nov. 23, 2025. He has been previously convicted of three DUIs as well as child cruelty and possession of a controlled substance.
In Austin, Abel Alejandro Martinez Robles, an illegal alien from Mexico, was transferred into ICE custody after being found in the Burnet County Jail, where he was booked for failure to identify. Martinez Robles has been removed from the U.S. two times and was previously convicted of aggravated sexual abuse.
Illegal alien from El Salvador Nelson Romero-Membreno was found in the Travis County Jail, where he was serving a sentence for his second DWI. Romero-Membreno has been deported twice and was also previously convicted of unlawful restraint with serious bodily injury.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
These 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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Texas Woman Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Unaccompanied Alien Children into the United StatesRead the Press Release
An El Paso, Texas, woman pleaded guilty today to smuggling unaccompanied alien children into the United States.
According to court documents, Dianne Guadian, 33, and three other members of an alien smuggling organization brought unaccompanied alien children between the ages of five and 13 illegally into the United States from Juarez, Mexico, sometimes using candy laced with THC to sedate them during smuggling events. The drivers and their co-conspirators would then present U.S. documents to inspecting officers falsely claiming the documents belonged to the children, and that they were the parents of the children. Once inside the United States, the children were then transported to El Paso. During one smuggling event, a child was taken to a local hospital and diagnosed with THC poisoning. One of Guadian’s co-defendants, Manuel Valenzuela, was sentenced on July 1 to five years in prison for his role in the child smuggling scheme.
A photo of THC gummies recovered by agents during secondary inspection at the port of entry“This defendant and her co-conspirators engaged in serious and dangerous conduct, which included giving THC laced gummies to children to sedate them while smuggling them from Mexico into the United States, all in order to make money,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The smuggling of unaccompanied children can expose them to the additional crimes and societal ills of human trafficking and sexual assault. This robs them of their innocence and youth, and it must be stopped.”
“Dianne Guadian was just one conspirator in a sickening smuggling operation, toying with the lives of children by drugging them in order to bring them into the United States from Mexico,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Fortunately, our partners at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recognized something was off. Their keen instincts resulted in the successful medical treatment of THC-poisoned children and the arrests of the smugglers. While we will aggressively prosecute all alien smugglers, those who smuggle children and risk the lives of those children in the process, should be especially aware that their date with American justice is coming at the hands of prosecutors in the Western District of Texas.”
“Dianne Guadian’s actions were not only unscrupulous, they put innocent children in grave danger,” said Deputy Executive Associate Director Matthew Millhollin of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Human smuggling is never a victimless crime. Smugglers routinely expose vulnerable people, including children, exploitation and life-threatening risk. HSI is committed to holding individuals like Guadian accountable and dismantling criminal organizations that profit from the desperation and suffering of others.”
“Criminal human smugglers exploit vulnerable children in horrific ways,” said Chief Patrol Agent Jesse Munoz of U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector. “I am glad our Border Patrol agents investigating this case were able to contribute to the successful prosecution of a criminal who will be held accountable for this terrible crime.”
Guadian pleaded guilty to four counts of aiding and abetting bringing of aliens without authorization for profit. She faces a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI El Paso and U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) led investigative efforts, with substantial assistance from HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. and CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force.
Trial Attorney Bethany Allen of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Hines for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
The indictment and plea announced today were coordinated 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). JTFA also leads and supports U.S. Attorneys’ Offices (USAOs) in the prosecution of crimes related to unaccompanied alien children (UACs). 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 Assistant U.S. Attorneys 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 HSI and CBP/USBP and Office of Field Operations, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 465 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 424 U.S. convictions; and more than 368 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Expatriated Hedge Fund Manager Sentenced to Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A Cayman resident who renounced his U.S. citizenship was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for tax evasion.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Justin Ryan Schmidt, formerly of Austin, managed a hedge fund focused on cryptocurrency investments. Over a period of several years, Schmidt earned a total of at least $7 million from his hedge fund but did not report any of this income on his 2020, 2021 or 2022 tax returns. Instead, Schmidt falsely reported earning income of $5,000 or less during each of those years. At the same time, he held millions of dollars in foreign bank accounts that he failed to disclose to the IRS.
“Today’s sentence makes clear that renouncing U.S. citizenship does not shield you from American justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Mr. Schmidt deliberately hid millions in income and assets from the IRS, filed false statements, and cheated America’s tax system. Despite his best efforts to evade the reach of the Justice Department, Mr. Schmidt will now begin to reap the true reward of his crimes.”
“Schmidt benefited from being a U.S. citizen but didn't want to pay the taxes to reap the benefits. When it was profitable to renounce his citizenship, he turned his back on his country, even lying about how much he was worth to avoid paying one last time,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr. of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Texas Field Office. “As criminal investigators for the IRS, we aren't limited by our nation's borders. He may have walked out on our country, but he didn't leave our sight.”
Schmidt renounced his U.S. citizenship in March 2022. Individuals who expatriate from the United States are required to report certain information to the IRS about their net worth, income, assets, and liabilities as of the date of their expatriation. Schmidt filed a false expatriation statement reporting that his net worth was $25,000, knowing that his net worth at the time exceeded $2 million. He also falsely stated that he had complied with his tax obligations for the preceding five years.
In 2023, Schmidt paid approximately $5.8 million to purchase a house in Snowmass Village, Colorado, and sold it three months later for approximately $9 million. Schmidt had a duty to report his U.S. sourced income but did not report the gains from this sale and evaded payment of taxes by submitting false documents to prevent taxes from being withheld on the sale.
In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman for the Western District of Texas ordered Schmidt to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $3.4 million in restitution to the United States.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
IRS-CI investigated the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Michael C. Boteler and Trial Attorney Michael Jones of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Doug Gardner for the Western District of Texas.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports 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.
Total Men’s Primary Care and Dr. Mason Jones Agree to Pay up to $600,000 in Civil Penalties for Alleged Violations of the Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – Total MD Physicians Group, P.L.L.C., doing business as Total Men’s Primary Care, and Dr. Mason Jones, a physician registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration to handle controlled substances at several Total Men’s Primary Care clinics in the Austin area, have agreed to a consent judgment requiring them to pay up to $600,000 in civil penalties for violating the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), 21 U.S.C. §§ 801 et seq.
The settlement resolves allegations that Total Men’s Primary Care and Dr. Jones violated the CSA by failing to comply with certain recordkeeping requirements and electronically signing and transmitting prescriptions for a Schedule II controlled substance without a doctor/patient relationship. These violations were identified by DEA following onsite inspections of three Total Men’s Primary Care locations in Austin, Bee Cave, and Cedar Park in 2023.
In 2024, while DEA’s investigation was pending, Dr. Jones voluntarily retired fourteen certificates of registration affiliated with Total Men’s Primary Care locations in Austin, Hutto, Round Rock, Georgetown, New Braunfels, San Marcos, Kyle, and Cedar Park. He later surrendered for cause four additional DEA certificates of registration.
Under the terms of their civil settlement agreement with the United States, Total Men’s Primary Care and Dr. Jones can satisfy their legal obligation under the consent judgment by paying the Government $300,000 within 12 months.
“When medical providers violate patient trust and federal law, my Office will hold them accountable through whatever means available,” said U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas Justin R. Simmons. “The American people deserve a healthcare system they can rely on, and we, along with our partners at the DEA, intend to do all we can to ensure its reliability.”
“DEA San Antonio Diversion investigators work tirelessly to protect the public from physicians who abuse their trusted privilege,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge for the San Antonio Division Miguel Madrigal. “Reckless and unlawful prescribing practices endanger public health, fuel prescription drug misuse, and undermine the integrity of the medical profession. The DEA will continue holding any medical professionals who violates the law accountable.”
DEA’s San Antonio Division Office led the investigation of this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Parnham negotiated the settlement on behalf of the Government.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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Illegal Alien Sentenced in Del Rio to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Deadly Conspiracy to Transport Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – An illegal alien from Mexico was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 15 years in prison for his role in a human smuggling operation that resulted in death, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, on April 17, 2025, Alan Vargas-Gonzalez, 23, of Huetamo, Michoacan, Mexico, was apprehended along with five illegal aliens near Eagle Pass. An investigation revealed that Vargas-Gonzalez was the foot guide of the group of illegal aliens. Agents noted that all the individuals had a backpack with food and/or water, and that Vargas-Gonzalez was the only person not wearing camouflage clothing and the only one that did not have carpet glued to the bottom of his shoes.
Further investigation connected Vargas-Gonzalez with a previous smuggling attempt that resulted in the death of a female Guatemalan in March 2025. A forensic examination of Vargas-Gonzalez’s cellphone revealed information that corroborated his involvement in the fatal smuggling event, including conversations with other co-conspirators related to human smuggling.
Vargas-Gonzalez was arrested April 17, 2025, and indicted on May 14, 2025. A superseding indictment filed on Oct. 1 charged him with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens causing serious bodily injury and one count of illegal alien transportation causing serious bodily injury. He pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge on Nov. 17. U.S. District Judge Ernest Gonzalez presided over the case.
The U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Ellis-Dotson prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nallely Duarte handled the sentencing hearing.
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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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188 New Immigration Cases Added in Western District of Texas This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 188 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from July 17 through July 23, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons.
Charges were brought against human smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for numerous DWIs, violent crimes and sexual abuse, thefts, and multiple prior removals.
Among the new cases, Alejandro Flores-Martinez, an illegal alien from Mexico, was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents near Eagle Pass after he had previously been deported in September 2025. Flores-Martinez was convicted in 2024 of first-degree sexual abuse in Butler County, Missouri, for which he was sentenced to seven years of confinement. He now faces a federal charge for illegal re-entry.
Jose Luis Gutierrez-Laguna, also an illegal alien from Mexico, was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol near Comstock. He was last deported for the sixth time in May 2025. Gutierrez-Laguna was convicted of his second illegal re-entry charge in 2024. He has also been convicted of operating while intoxicated and forgery.
In El Paso, illegal alien from Mexico Juan Manuel Tinoco-Oros was arrested near Sierra Blanca, approximately 10 miles east of the Fort Hancock Port of Entry. Tinoco-Oros had been previously convicted of domestic violence and was deported for the third time in November 2025.
Raul Medina Gonzalez, an illegal alien from Mexico, was charged in Austin this week. He has been deported from the U.S. eight times and convicted five times for improper entry, the most recent being in 2018. He now faces an illegal re-entry charge.
Enrique Alberto Oxlaj-Lopez has been previously removed from the U.S. six times. He is an illegal alien from Guatemala with a prior conviction for illegal re-entry along with convictions for arson, theft and a DWI.
Also in Austin, Luis Jaimes-De Paz, an illegal alien from Mexico, faces an illegal re-entry charge. His previous illegal re-entry conviction was in 2010. Jaimes-De Paz has also been convicted of three DWI charges and one failure to ID. He’s been removed from the U.S. three times.
Illegal alien from Honduras Gabriel Euceda-Bonilla was arrested in San Antonio by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations on Tuesday. Euceda-Bonilla has previously been convicted of three DUI charges as well as intoxication assault causing brain injury. He is now charged with illegal re-entry.
Illegal alien from Mexico Sergio Arturo Delgadillo-Ledesma is also charged with illegal re-entry. San Antonio Police arrested Delgadillo-Ledesma for possession of a controlled substance in March. He was turned over to ICE custody on July 16, the day after his conviction and sentencing. The July conviction was Delgadillo-Ledesma’s second for possession of a controlled substance. He’s also been previously convicted of a DUI and twice for evading arrest.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
These 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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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11 Charged in Homeland Security Task Force Investigation Relating to Aliens Found Dead in a Boxcar Earlier This YearRead the Press Release
As part of a Homeland Security Task Force case, a federal grand jury in Del Rio, Texas, returned an indictment this week charging 11 defendants for their alleged involvement in an attempted alien smuggling operation that resulted in multiple illegal aliens being found dead inside a shipping container in May.
The 11 defendants charged are:
- Karina Garcia, 37, of Del Rio, Texas;
- Edson Alejandro Perez, 18, of Del Rio;
- Seferino Huerta-Casillas, 35, of Mexico;
- Jonas Ulloa-Aguilera, 25, of Honduras;
- Mayra Alejandra Huerta, 32, of Del Rio;
- Maria Norma Neri de Moran, 56, of Mexico;
- Damian Huerta Analucas, 55, of Mexico;
- Rosario Cristal Lopez-Saldana, 26, of Mexico;
- Eric Hernandez, 40, of Eagle Pass, Texas;
- Franklin Williams Ayala Aguilera, 30, of Honduras; and
- Pascual Raymundo Loarca, 34, of Guatemala
According to the indictment, from at least April 2023 through May 12, 2026, the defendants and others operated a human smuggling organization that illegally used cargo trains to smuggle aliens further into the United States after illegally crossing them from Mexico.Each smuggled alien, or their families and friends, paid smugglers in Honduras, Mexico, the United States, and elsewhere between $1,500 and $10,000.
Container opened with deceased smuggled aliens inside. Case number 26-CR-02066 in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.The indictment alleges that, toward the end of April 2026, the organization began facilitating the smuggling of at least seven aliens from Acuña, Mexico into Del Rio. On or about May 9, after the smugglers illegally crossed the seven aliens from Mexico into the Del Rio area, the organization transported the aliens to an area near the Union Pacific train tracks in Del Rio. From approximately 1:18 p.m. to 1:25 p.m., while a Union Pacific train was stationary, smugglers, using red bolt cutters, allegedly cut the lock off a Conex shipping container’s door, loaded the aliens into the container, and then shut the door.
Red bolt cutters used to open the Conex shipping container’s door. From the indictment in case number 26-CR-02066 in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. Photo depicting broken seal from the Conex shipping container’s door. From the indictment in case number 26-CR-02066 in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.The shipping container was stacked on top of another and had no ventilation or cooling system. Based on the investigation, the recorded outside temperatures for that day ranged from 88 to 92 degrees Fahrenheit. In total, seven aliens were loaded into the container, including one 14-year-old child. It was secured from the outside and could not be opened from the inside. The train then departed Del Rio and traveled east along U.S. highway 90 to San Antonio.
Map depicting US-90 and the Union Pacific Railroad system between Del Rio to San Antonio. From the indictment in case number 26-CR-02066 in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.Once the train arrived in San Antonio, smugglers opened the door to the Conex container and discovered the aliens in peril. The smugglers then fled the scene, allegedly leaving one of the deceased aliens near the railroad tracks. Smugglers left the remaining aliens in the shipping container. The next day, the train departed south along its route to Laredo.
On May 10, a worker at the Union Pacific Rail Yard in Laredo saw a leg sticking out from a Conex shipping container. Upon inspection, six aliens were discovered deceased in the shipping container. Laredo law enforcement contacted San Antonio agents for assistance. Later, San Antonio law enforcement discovered the seventh alien deceased and abandoned by the railroad tracks in San Antonio. Ultimately, seven aliens died from being in the Conex shipping container—four were Mexican nationals and three were Honduran nationals. One of the aliens was a 14-year-old child. The investigation revealed that at least one alien messaged a loved one, pleading for help.
Mayra Alejandra Huerta was arrested May 12 in Del Rio and initially charged with one count of harboring illegal aliens. She has remained in federal custody and now faces two charges in today’s indictment. Last week, eight other defendants were arrested over a multi-day HSTF operation across central and south Texas. Two defendants, Karina Garcia and Seferino Huerta-Casillas, remain at large.
All 11 defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death and one count of aiding and abetting transport of illegal aliens resulting in death. If convicted, the defendants would each face maximum penalties of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas, and Acting Executive Associate Director John A. Condon of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Spears, Todd Keagle, and Ashley Ellis-Dotson for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (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 United States 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 comprises agents and officers from FBI; ICE HSI; DEA; ATF; U.S. Border Patrol; USMS; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation; IRS Criminal Investigation; Texas Department of Public Safety; as well as local police departments and sheriff’s offices, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Photos of Karina Garcia, a U.S. Citizen, and Seferino Huerta Casillas, a Mexican national, who remain at large. US v. Karina Garcia et al WDTX - Indictment.pdf11 Charged in Homeland Security Task Force Investigation Relating to Aliens Found Dead in a Boxcar Earlier This YearRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – As part of a Homeland Security Task Force case, a federal grand jury in Del Rio returned an indictment this week charging 11 defendants for their alleged involvement in an attempted alien smuggling operation that resulted in multiple illegal aliens being found dead inside a shipping container in May, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas Justin R. Simmons.
According to the indictment, from at least April 2023 through May 12, 2026, the defendants and others operated a human smuggling organization that illegally used cargo trains to smuggle aliens further into the United States after illegally crossing them from Mexico. Each smuggled alien, or their families and friends, paid smugglers in Honduras, Mexico, the United States, and elsewhere between $1,500 and $10,000.
Map depicting US-90 and the Union Pacific Railroad system between Del Rio to San Antonio Photo depicting broken seal from the Conex shipping container’s doorThe indictment alleges that, toward the end of April 2026, the organization began facilitating the smuggling of at least seven aliens from Acuña, Mexico into Del Rio. On or about May 9, after the smugglers illegally crossed the seven aliens from Mexico into the Del Rio area, the organization transported the aliens to an area near the Union Pacific train tracks in Del Rio. From approximately 1:18 p.m. to 1:25 p.m., while a Union Pacific train was stationary, smugglers, using red bolt cutters, allegedly cut the lock off a Conex shipping container’s door, loaded the aliens into the container, and then shut the door.
The shipping container was stacked on top of another and had no ventilation or cooling system. Based on the investigation, the recorded outside temperatures for that day ranged from 88 to 92 degrees Fahrenheit. In total, seven aliens were loaded into the container, including one 14-year-old child. It was secured from the outside and could not be opened from the inside. The train then departed Del Rio and traveled east along U.S. highway 90 to San Antonio.
Red bolt cutters used to open the Conex shipping container’s doorOnce the train arrived in San Antonio, smugglers opened the door to the Conex container and discovered the aliens in peril. The smugglers then fled the scene, allegedly leaving one of the deceased aliens near the railroad tracks. Smugglers left the remaining aliens in the shipping container. The next day, the train departed south along its route to Laredo.
On May 10, a worker at the Union Pacific Rail Yard in Laredo saw a leg sticking out from a Conex shipping container. Upon inspection, six aliens were discovered deceased in the shipping container. Laredo law enforcement contacted San Antonio agents for assistance. Later, San Antonio law enforcement discovered the seventh alien deceased and abandoned by the railroad tracks in San Antonio. Ultimately, seven aliens died from being in the Conex shipping container—four were Mexican nationals and three were Honduran nationals. One of the aliens was a 14-year-old child. The investigation revealed that at least one alien messaged a loved one, pleading for help.
Shipping container opened with deceased smuggled aliens inside.The 11 defendants charged are:
- Karina Garcia, 37, of Del Rio
- Edson Alejandro Perez, 18, of Del Rio
- Seferino Huerta-Casillas, 35, of Mexico
- Jonas Ulloa-Aguilera, 25, of Honduras
- Mayra Alejandra Huerta, 32, of Del Rio
- Maria Norma Neri de Moran, 56, of Mexico
- Damian Huerta Analucas, 55, of Mexico
- Rosario Cristal Lopez-Saldana, 26, of Mexico
- Eric Hernandez, 40, of Eagle Pass
- Franklin Williams Ayala Aguilera, 30, of Honduras
- Pascual Raymundo Loarca, 34, of Guatemala
Mayra Alejandra Huerta was arrested May 12 in Del Rio and initially charged with one count of harboring illegal aliens. She has remained in federal custody and now faces two charges in today’s indictment. Last week, eight other defendants were arrested over a multi-day HSTF operation across central and south Texas. Two defendants, Karina Garcia and Seferino Huerta-Casillas, remain at large.
Karina Garcia, a U.S. Citizen, and Seferino Huerta Casillas, a Mexican national, remain at largeAll 11 are charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death and one count of aiding and abetting transport of illegal aliens resulting in death. If convicted, the defendants will each face up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Spears, Todd Keagle, and Ashley Ellis-Dotson are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (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 United States 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 comprises agents and officers from FBI; ICE HSI; DEA; ATF; U.S. Border Patrol; USMS; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation; IRS Criminal Investigation; Texas Department of Public Safety; as well as local police departments and sheriff’s offices, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Waco Jeweler and Co-Conspirator Arrested, Indicted for Allegedly Buying Known Stolen JewelryRead the Press Release
WACO, Texas – The owner of a crafted precious metals dealer in Waco and an alleged co-conspirator were arrested this week on criminal charges related to their alleged dealings of stolen jewelry, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, Clemond Earl Busby aka Bull, 65, of Waco, allegedly arranged for multiple jewelry store robbers to meet with Michael Wayne Habern Jr., 53, the owner of Waco Jewelers, in the parking lot of Habern’s store for the purpose of selling stolen jewelry to Busby and Habern. At times, the robbers would allegedly negotiate transactions with both Busby and Habern. At other times, the indictment alleges, Busby would act as an intermediary between Habern and the robbers.
On one or more of the occasions, Busby and Habern allegedly received stolen jewelry from the robbers with price tags still attached and sometimes in display cases that were also taken from the jewelry stores during the robberies.
The indictment alleges that Busby and Habern would pay the robbers less than the true value of the jewelry and exclusively in cash.
Habern and Busby are both charged with one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, nine counts of accessory after the fact, and one count of misprision of a felony. If convicted, they both face up to 113 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI, Texas Anti-Gang Taskforce, Waco Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, Department of Homeland Security, Austin Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Blanton is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Robison Found Guilty of Wire Fraud, Money Laundering in Federal Jury TrialRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – A federal jury convicted an Austin man Wednesday of wire fraud and money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, John Stuart Robison, 63, convinced an investor to pay $1 million into a business bank account controlled solely by Robison. Robinson represented the money would go to benefit the University of Austin. The money was to be kept in an escrow account unless and until Robison raised an additional $1 million.
As part of the scheme, Robison lied to the investor about land that Robison controlled or had under option. Robison also presented false option contracts for property and claimed that all monies spent on the project were from Robison's personal accounts.
One day after the money was wired into the business account, Robison fraudulently transferred $250,000 into another of his bank accounts. This money was used to benefit Robison rather than the University of Austin. Within a few months of the receipt of the wired funds, Robison had essentially spent the entire $1 million.
Robison was indicted on Nov. 18, 2025, and arrested Nov. 21. Now convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison for the one count of wire fraud and up to 10 years in prison for the money laundering charges.
The FBI and Austin Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dan Guess and Britni Verdeja prosecuted the case.
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Barrio Azteca Member Pleads Guilty to Racketeering and Drug Conspiracy Charges Related to 2010 U.S. Consulate Murders in JuarezRead the Press Release
A Bario Azteca gang member pleaded guilty today in federal court in El Paso, Texas, for being part of a racketeering and drug trafficking conspiracy which included acting as the lookout in the murders by Barrio Azteca members of a U.S. Consulate Juarez employee, her husband, and the husband of another U.S. consulate employee.
Enrique Guajardo Lopez, also known as “Kiki,” 59, of Juarez, Mexico, pleaded guilty today to racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute and import drugs. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Lopez faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
According to court documents and information presented in court, Lopez is one of 35 Barrio Azteca members and associates based in the United States and Mexico who were charged in the third superseding indictment in 2011 for allegedly committing various criminal acts, including racketeering, narcotics distribution and importation, retaliation against persons providing information to U.S. law enforcement, extortion, money laundering, obstruction of justice, and murder. Of the 35 defendants, 10 Mexican nationals were charged for their role in the March 13, 2010 murders of U.S. Consulate employee Leslie Ann Enriquez Catton; her husband Arthur Redelfs; and Jorge Alberto Salcido Ceniceros, the husband of a U.S. Consulate employee. All the defendants have been apprehended, and 30 have pleaded guilty. Three defendants have been convicted at trial and one committed suicide before the conclusion of his trial. One defendant remains pending trial.
The Barrio Azteca (BA) is a violent street and prison gang that began in the late 1980s and expanded into a transnational criminal organization. In the 2000s, the BA formed an alliance in Mexico with “La Linea,” which is part of the Juarez Drug Cartel (also known as the Vincente Carrillo Fuentes Drug Cartel or VCF). The purpose of the BA-La Linea alliance was to battle the Chapo Guzman Cartel and its allies for control of the drug trafficking routes through Juarez and Chihuahua. The drug routes through Juarez, known as the Juarez Plaza, are important to drug trafficking organizations because they are a principal illicit drug trafficking conduit into the United States. The gang has a militaristic command structure and includes captains, lieutenants, sergeants, and soldiers — all with the purpose of maintaining power and enriching its members and associates through drug trafficking, money laundering, extortion, intimidation, violence, threats of violence, and murder. The BAs were directly involved in drug trafficking, and BA members would also conduct enforcement operations for VCF, including acting as hit men to commit murders and assaults. On the day of the Consulate murders, Lopez acted as a lookout for other BA members who targeted and murdered the victims. Enriquez was four months pregnant, and her fetus was also killed.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas, Acting Special Agent in Charge Conal Whetten of the FBI El Paso Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Mark Putnam of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) El Paso Field Division made the announcement.
This case is being prosecuted by Deputy Chief Jay Bauer of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, Trial Attorney Amy Schwartz of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Spitzer of the Western District of Texas. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico and the Criminal Division’s Offices of International Affairs and Enforcement Operations provided significant assistance in this case.
The case was investigated by the FBI El Paso Field Office, Albuquerque Field Office (Las Cruces Resident Agency); DEA Juarez; and DEA El Paso. Special assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; the U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Federal Bureau of Prisons; U.S. Diplomatic Security Service; the Texas Department of Public Safety; the Texas Department of Criminal Justice; El Paso Police Department; El Paso County Sheriff’s Office; El Paso Independent School District Police Department; Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission; New Mexico State Police; Dona Ana County, New Mexico Sheriff’s Office; Las Cruces, New Mexico Police Department; Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility and Otero County Prison Facility New Mexico.
Austin Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – An Austin man was sentenced in a federal court in Austin to 220 months in prison for trafficking fentanyl while in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, on March 24, 2023, Daltha Ray Terrell, aka Goo Ray, 31, presented himself to a local hospital with a gunshot wound to his arm claiming that someone had shot him. Officers secured his car and obtained a search warrant. Located within the car were approximately 636 blue pills with “M-30” markings. Officers also discovered two firearms.
Further investigation revealed that Terrell was not shot by another individual but had shot himself when attempting to pull his firearm from his jacket. Additionally, the pills found in his vehicle tested positive for fentanyl.
Months later, on Dec. 1, 2023, officers responded to an overdose on an Austin Capital Metro bus. The victim was declared deceased after efforts to revive him failed, and officers located a small amount of crushed blue powder that field tested for fentanyl. Video surveillance reflected that the deceased victim had boarded the bus near Terrell’s residence. Evidence from the victim’s phone and CashApp revealed that Terrell was the victim’s dealer. Autopsy results opined that “fentanyl toxicity” was the sole cause of the victim’s death.
A state search warrant at Terrell’s residence resulted in the discovery of approximately 2,000 blue ''M-30" pills suspected to contain fentanyl, two handguns—one of which was equipped with a machinegun conversion device—and a shotgun that was later discovered to be stolen in a home invasion robbery one month prior to the execution of the search warrant.
The investigation revealed that from June 6, 2023, until the date of Terrell’s arrest on May 22, 2024, Terrell engaged in the unbroken distribution of fentanyl in excess of 400 grams. Terrell pleaded guilty on Jan. 21, 2026, to one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm in a drug trafficking crime.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Austin Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Doug Gardner prosecuted the case.
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El Paso Customs and Border Protection Officer Indicted, Arrested for Deprivation of Rights and Providing False StatementsRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer made his initial appearance in federal court after he was indicted and subsequently arrested for charges related to his alleged false reporting of details involving excessive use of force, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, while acting under color of law as a federal law enforcement officer on August 22, 2021, Jesus Espinosa, 52, of El Paso, is alleged to have used unreasonable force, including a chokehold, to detain an individual, resulting in bodily injury. Additionally, an indictment alleges Espinosa knowingly and willfully made materially false, fictitious and fraudulent statements and representations in his answers to his supervisor’s questions regarding the incident. Allegedly, Espinosa claimed that the individual he detained was aggressive and non-compliant, which initially caused an erroneous official report of assault on a federal officer rather than a true report detailing excessive use of force.
Espinosa was indicted July 15 and arrested July 17. He is charged with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of false statement to a U.S. government agency. The defendant made his initial court appearance on July 17 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert F. Castaneda of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison for the deprivation of rights charge and up to five years in prison for the false statement. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI, Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General, and Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Wisniewski is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Adds 234 New Immigration Cases in Western District of Texas This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 234 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from July 10 through July 16, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons.
Charges were brought against human smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for numerous DWIs, violent crimes, thefts, and multiple prior removals.
Among the new cases, two illegal aliens were arrested as the result of a stash house disruption in El Paso on July 13. A criminal complaint alleges U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Ysleta Border Patrol Station observed Jorge Lucero-Banda, an illegal alien from Mexico, and Diogenes Silva-Orozco, an illegal alien from Nicaragua, depart and later return to an apartment that had been under investigation for alien smuggling activities. A search of Silva-Orozco’s cell phone allegedly revealed numerous videos and photos depicting illegal aliens inside a separate residence where agents later encountered 14 illegal aliens. The complaint alleges Lucero-Banda served as a caretaker at the stash house as was paid $1,000 per week. Lucero-Banda and Silva-Orozco are charged with bringing in and harboring aliens.
Jorge Camacho-Olivas, an illegal alien from Mexico who has been previously deported eight times, allegedly attempted to enter the U.S. on Tuesday by eluding inspection from U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry. A criminal complaint alleges that the day after his most recent removal, CBP officers observed Camacho-Olivas moving on foot alongside a truck that was driving up to an inspection booth. He was then detained. Camacho-Olivas has a 15-year history of multiple illegal re-entry convictions and one conviction for alien smuggling.
Antonio Gomez-Raygoza, also an illegal alien from Mexico, was arrested after he allegedly presented a copy of his Mexican Voters Registration Card to a CBP officer at the Paso Del Norte POE and claimed to be a U.S. citizen. A system query on his name revealed Gomez-Raygoza has been removed from the U.S. six times and has been convicted for illegal re-entry, auto theft and first-degree burglary.
An Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office deputy conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for speeding and discovered the driver, Lester Josue Hernandez Flores, was an illegal alien from Honduras who has been previously removed from the U.S. six times. Hernandez was arrested and turned over to ICE custody. During an inventory search of Hernandez’s vehicle prior to impoundment, ACSO allegedly discovered a .45 caliber handgun with a magazine containing one round. Hernandez is now charged with one count of illegal alien in possession of a firearm and, if convicted, faces up to 10 years in federal prison with a maximum $250,000 fine.
Alfonso Landin Garcia, an illegal alien from Mexico, was transferred into ICE custody from the Bexar County Jail where he had been booked for evading arrest. Landin has three DUI convictions on his record and is now charged with illegal re-entry.
Also an illegal alien from Mexico, Efrain Dominguez Arenas aka Juan Hernandez Ramirez was transferred into ICE custody from the Bastrop County Jail. Dominguez has been removed from the U.S. six times and has three DWI convictions.
German Alejandro Contreras-Enamorado, an illegal alien from Honduras, was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents near Eagle Pass and charged with illegal re-entry. Contreras-Enamorado has been deported three times and was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon in November 2020.
Illegal alien from Cuba, Yorman Reyes-Marin aka Mikel Rodriguez Masaguer, was arrested near Eagle Pass and charged with illegal re-entry. Reyes-Marin was deported for the first time in October 2025 yet has a lengthy criminal record that includes multiple assault convictions, including one aggravated assault conviction, along with disorderly conduct and trespassing.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
These 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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Agricultural Company to Pay over $10M to Resolve Foreign Bribery CaseRead the Press Release
The Scoular Company (Scoular), an agricultural supply chain company based in Omaha, Nebraska, will pay over $10 million to resolve an investigation by the Justice Department into a years-long scheme in which it relied on bribery of Mexican officials to deliver trains of goods across the U.S.-Mexico border.
Scoular entered into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) in connection with a criminal information filed in the Western District of Texas charging the company with one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).
“The Scoular Company used customs brokers as part of a long-running scheme at the Mexican border to pay more than $400,000 in bribes to Mexican officials,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “A portion of those bribes ultimately benefited people who helped operate a cartel, even though Scoular did not know about it. This resolution shows that bribery and corruption not only undermine fair play and competition for Americans, but also hurt our national security interests in stopping the scourge of dangerous cartel activity.”
“Nothing crosses into or out of Mexico without the approval and payment to Mexican drug cartels. American businesses that engage in any cross-border trade bear a significant amount of responsibility to do so without benefitting those cartels and without threatening our national security,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “The bribery scheme in which the Scoular Company engaged demonstrates the dangerous corporate corruption we in the Western District of Texas are committed to fighting on behalf of the American people.”
According to court documents, between 2013 and 2019, Scoular relied on multiple customs brokers to ensure that its shipments of corn and other products successfully crossed from the United States into Mexico. Under Mexican law, those shipments were subject to inspection for dirt, soil, and other impurities. To ensure that Scoular’s shipments successfully transited the border despite inspections that found such dirt, soil, and other impurities, Scoular authorized multiple third-party customs brokers to bribe Mexican officials at the border. At the direction of Scoular employees, and for Scoular’s benefit, those brokers paid bribes of approximately $2,000 per Scoular train and invoiced the bribes back to Scoular for reimbursement of reinspection fees, which Scoular paid. Scoular employees communicated about shipments and bribes via WhatsApp and other means. In total, Scoular authorized bribes of more than $400,000 and avoided fees and costs of more than $6.5 million.
As part of the DPA, Scoular agreed to pay a $9,769,521 criminal penalty and $414,351 in forfeiture. Scoular will also continue cooperating with the department in any ongoing or future criminal investigation arising during the term of the DPA. Further, Scoular has committed to implementing a compliance and ethics program designed to prevent and detect violations of the FCPA, and other applicable anti-corruption laws, throughout its operations. Scoular will periodically report to the department on remediation and implementation of compliance measures throughout the term of the DPA.
The department reached this resolution with Scoular based on a number of factors, including, among others, the nature and seriousness of the offense and the determination during the course of the investigation, that, unbeknownst to the company or its employees, a portion of the bribes paid in connection with Scoular’s shipments benefited persons associated with the criminal operations of a cartel operating at the U.S.-Mexico border. Scoular did not receive voluntary disclosure credit pursuant to the Department of Justice’s Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy, because it did not voluntarily and timely disclose to the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section the conduct described in the Statement of Facts.
Scoular received credit for its cooperation with the department’s investigation, which included (i) conducting an internal investigation into the misconduct and providing evidence to the department, including detailed factual presentations; (ii) providing information and evidence to the department that identified those involved in the misconduct; (iii) producing and organizing materials in response to the department’s voluntary document requests, notwithstanding certain deficiencies in the early part of the investigation; and (iv) securing counsel for current employees.
Scoular also engaged in timely remedial measures, including (i) increasing compliance sensitivity across the organization through enhanced business engagement; (ii) implementing the findings of an external compliance program maturity assessment and an anti-corruption risk assessment, including by restructuring its compliance function and incorporating senior leadership oversight across compliance and business activities; (iii) reducing operational risk by eliminating the use of customs brokers associated with reinspection fees in Mexico; (iv) strengthening risk-based review and monitoring procedures, and coordinating those efforts through the use of specific software tools; (v) updating and launching a revised Code of Conduct, along with several key policies and procedures related to its compliance program, including anti-corruption, bribery, conflicts of interest, and third party management; (vi) improving and implementing risk-based screenings and approval requirements for third-party providers; implementing anti-corruption and audit right provisions in third-party contracts; (vii) implementing revised financial controls procedures that relate to high-risk transactions, and (viii) providing general and targeted anti-corruption training to relevant personnel.
In light of these considerations, the criminal penalty reflects a 25% reduction from the bottom of the applicable guidelines range, and the term of the DPA is for a period of three years.
In a related case, a customs broker who paid bribes on behalf of Scoular, Carlos Leopoldo Alvelais, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the FCPA on Oct. 23, 2025. Sentencing in that case is scheduled for July 20.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Connor Mullin and Assistant Chief William E. Schurmann of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Kanof for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA) matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA and FEPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
Illegal Alien Sent to Federal Prison for Attempted Meth Smuggling Following Homeland Security Task Force InvestigationRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A Homeland Security Task Force investigation resulted in an illegal alien from Mexico being sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 20 years in prison for trafficking methamphetamine into the United States from Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, on April 20, 2025, Veronica Sanchez-Pineda, 47, of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, approached the Eagle Pass Port of Entry in a pickup truck and gave Customs and Border Protection officers a negative declaration for contraband including narcotics. A secondary inspection resulted in the discovery of a crystal-like substance inside an auxiliary tank in the bed of the truck. The substance tested positive for 521.03 kg of methamphetamine. Sanchez-Pineda consented to a search of her cell phone, which contained a text message about a “job” in Eagle Pass as well as screenshots of money transfers between the defendant and another individual.
Sanchez-Pineda was arrested at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry. She was named in a four-count indictment on May 14, 2025, and pleaded guilty on Dec. 22, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Court Judge Ernest Gonzalez presided over the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Warsame Galaydh and Daisy Gonzalez prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (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 United States 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 comprises agents and officers from FBI; ICE HSI; DEA; ATF; U.S. Border Patrol; USMS; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation; IRS Criminal Investigation; Texas Department of Public Safety; as well as local police departments and sheriff’s offices, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
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Houston Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Smuggling Meth into United StatesRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A Houston man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 30 years in prison for trafficking methamphetamine into the United States from Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, Yobany Vega, 25, attempted to enter the U.S. through Eagle Pass Camino Real Bridge 2 on Dec. 6, 2024. Customs and Border Protection Officers noticed a non-factory compartment during secondary inspection and discovered 41 bundles hidden in the vehicle. Further inspection revealed that the bundles contained 40.5 kgs of 100% purity level methamphetamine.
Vega was arrested on Dec. 6, 2024. He pleaded guilty on Sept. 19, 2025, to all four counts of his indictment, which included conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, conspiracy to import methamphetamine, and importation of methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Ernest Gonzalez presided over the case.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Duarte II and Nallely Duarte 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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Former Austin ISD Elementary Teacher Sentenced to 16 years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – A former elementary school teacher was sentenced by a federal court in Austin to 200 months in prison and 10 years supervised release for receipt and possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, a digital forensic analysis of seized devices determined that Carl David Innmon, 51, possessed more than 16,000 files depicting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on a laptop computer and an additional 349,728 files depicting CSAM on an external hard drive. Thousands of the images possessed by Innmon involved prepubescent minors under the age of 12.
Innmon was a fifth-grade teacher in the Austin Independent School District at the time of his April 2025 arrest and had previously worked as a substitute teacher at approximately 20 other schools within the district. He faced up to 20 years in prison.
“This now-convicted pedophile was tasked with caring for the most vulnerable among us: our children,” said U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas Justin R. Simmons. “Instead, he used children to satisfy his deviant sexual desires. In cooperation with our state, local and federal law enforcement partners, my office will always aggressively pursue pedophiles like this one, and our message to them is this: pedophilia is not a sexual preference; it’s a crime, and we will always make sure you do the time.”
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant Sparks prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Three Texas Tax Preparers Sentenced to Prison as Part of False Tax Return SchemeRead the Press Release
Three Texas tax return preparers – a tax return preparation business owner and two of his employees – were sentenced today to 50 months, 26 months, and 18 months in prison for their roles in conspiring to file false tax returns on behalf of clients. Two other tax return preparers who admitted to filing false tax returns for clients as part of the same scheme still await sentencing.
“No matter the scheme, the agency, or the program involved, those who cheat on their taxes for personal enrichment undermine the very foundation of public trust,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “The Fraud Division is working across all fronts to detect, investigate, and prosecute criminal tax violations. We will protect the integrity of our tax system and ensure that those who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of honest citizens face the full weight of federal prosecution.”
“Though they used a pencil and paper rather than a gun and a mask, these defendants are nothing more than common thieves,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “The United States is ‘We the People,’ and when you steal from the people, we will hold you to account. Thank you to our partners at the National Fraud Enforcement Division for their great work here on behalf of the American people.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, from approximately January 2019 to October 2022, Mathews Chacko, Anish Pillai, and Subhala Suresh conspired to defraud the United States by filing tax returns for clients that contained false business expenses. These false expenses artificially reduced the taxes that the clients owed to the IRS, which enabled them to receive refunds to which they were not entitled. At times, Chacko and his co-conspirators included false business expenses on client returns without their clients’ knowledge, then sometimes provided false explanations to clients justifying the false items. At other times, Chacko and his co-conspirators informed clients by email that they were submitting false information to the IRS. Chacko admitted to causing a tax loss to the United States exceeding $3.5 million but less than $9.5 million. Pillai admitted that he caused approximately $1.5 million to $3.5 million in losses to the United States. Suresh admitted that she caused approximately $250,000 to $550,000 in losses to the United States.
Chacko pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the IRS. Pillai and Suresh both pleaded guilty to aiding and assisting the filing of a false tax return. Chacko was sentenced to 50 months in prison, Pillai was sentenced to 26 months in prison, and Suresh was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Acting Assistant Deputy Chief Marissa R. Brodney and Trial Attorney Michael L. Jones of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports 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.
Nihilistic Violent Extremist Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison in San AntonioRead the Press Release
A San Antonio-based member of a Nihilistic Violent Extremist (NVE) group related to the 764 network was sentenced today to 40 years in prison, lifetime supervised release, and to pay $10,000 in restitution for racketeering activity and multiple acts relating to the sexual exploitation of children.
According to court documents, Alexis Aldair Chavez, also known as Zack and Zack8884, 19, was an administrator and online leader of the ‘8884’ network, which is a network related to 764. These NVEs share accelerationist goals that include social unrest and the downfall of the current world order, including the U.S. Government. Members of 8884 work in concert with one another towards a common purpose of destroying civilized society through the corruption and exploitation of vulnerable populations, including minors.
NVEs engage in criminal conduct within the United States and abroad, in furtherance of political, social, or religious goals that derive primarily from a hatred of society at large and a desire to bring about its collapse by sowing indiscriminate chaos, destruction, and social instability. NVEs demand, coerce, and extort victims to engage in variety of violent conduct, including self-mutilation, online and in-person sexual acts, harm to animals, sexual exploitation of siblings and others, acts of violence, threats of violence, suicide, and murder.
“Chavez’s crimes reveal the ruthless exploitation and manipulation at the core of NVE groups,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “These organizations target children as part of their broader mission to spread terror. These groups ultimately seek nothing less than the destruction of our society. NSD will use every resource at its disposal to identify and prosecute 764-linked criminality and to protect the most innocent among us from these predators.”
“What Alexis Chavez and other members of these Nihilistic Violent Extremist groups have done to the vulnerable children they target is among the most disturbing conduct this office has prosecuted,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Parents need to know what their children are doing online and must stay engaged, ask difficult questions, and not fall into the trap of believing their child is “just playing games” or “just talking with their friends.” There is darkness present within many people in this world that want nothing more than to see the United States and western civilization fail. There is no limit to the actions these individuals will take to accomplish that goal, including torturing and abusing children. Regardless of one’s inherent motivations, our office and our law enforcement partners at the local, state and federal levels investigate and prosecute these cases with absolute dedication because protecting our children is not just a priority; it is the priority.”
“Nothing is more abhorrent than those who prey on children and other vulnerable members of our society and this defendant will pay a steep price for doing just that,” said Acting Assistant Director Coult Markovsky of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “The FBI has made it a high priority to identity and arrest Nihilistic Violent Extremists who coerce juveniles into horrific acts of self-harm. We will never let up on our efforts and will continue working closely with our Justice Department partners to ensure these predators are held accountable.”
“This sentencing demonstrates the FBI’s unwavering resolve to identify, hunt down, investigate, and prosecute criminals like Chavez who prey on children through violent online networks, including 764, and orchestrate horrific, unspeakable acts of exploitation and violence,” said Special Agent in Charge Daniel Faith of the FBI San Antonio Field Office. “These predators use social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms, chat rooms, and video services to groom vulnerable children. Staying engaged in your child's online life, maintaining open communication, recognizing the warning signs, and reporting suspicious online activity to law enforcement are critical to stopping these offenders. Learn more at: PSA. The FBI will use every lawful authority at our disposal to dismantle these criminal networks and hold offenders accountable because no child should ever become the next victim of these predators.”
On or about October 2023, Chavez and a co-conspirator attempted to have a minor female kill herself in a video chat by overdosing on pills. The two conspirators recorded the attempted suicide to obtain “content” that would allow them to maintain and increase their status within 8884. Approximately two months later, Chavez and the minor female victim worked together to coerce a female located overseas to strip naked on camera, cut herself, and engage in sexual acts. They also extorted another female by forcing the victim to cut the name “Zack” into herself.
Around Dec. 29, 2023, Chavez and a co-conspirator coerced another minor female to cut her tongue as well as torture and kill a cat on a live video call. That same month, Chavez and another co-conspirator worked together to groom and extort several other minor females. In one instance, the two conspirators coerced a female victim to light her arm on fire and have the fire burn through her skin and deeper into her body, while on a recorded video chat within the 8884 channel. They also groomed another minor female victim, forcing her to drink her own urine and attempt to overdose on unknown pills.
On or about Jan. 23, 2024, Chavez and a co-conspirator threatened and coerced a minor female victim to engage in sexually obscene activities and other egregious acts. He was arrested on Oct. 24, 2024, and pleaded guilty on Dec. 19, 2025, to one count of racketeering, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.
The FBI San Antonio Field Office investigated the case with assistance from FBI Washington Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Roomberg and Bill Harris for the Western District of Texas, and Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
The Justice Department remains vigilant against the threat of Nihilistic Violent Extremist (NVE) networks, like 764, that operate within the United States and around the globe. NVEs often target vulnerable individuals, including minors, using social media platforms to share CSAM and gore material, and groom victims toward committing acts of violence. Victims are often extorted, coerced, compelled, and blackmailed into complying with NVE demands, including self-mutilation, online and in-person sexual acts, harm to animals, sexual exploitation of siblings and others, acts of violence, threats of violence, suicide, and murder. For more information on how to protect children and others, read about the online risks here: Parents, Caregivers, Teachers — FBI and the FBI’s March 2025 public service announcement.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Mexican National to Spend 27 years in Federal Prison for Trafficking over One Thousand Kilograms of Methamphetamine in Homeland Security Task Force CaseRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A Mexican National was sentenced by a federal court in San Antonio to 27 years in prison for leading an international methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, Arturo Leija-Alvarado, 43, led an organization that trafficked well over one thousand kilograms of methamphetamine from Mexico into the United States, for distribution in and around the San Antonio area. The conspiracy involved large quantities of methamphetamine that were smuggled into the United States while hidden in various ways, most commonly in large loads of lettuce.
At the time that Leija led the drug trafficking organization, Leija had already been convicted twice of illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal and had been removed from the United States on at least three separate occasions. Following his most recent removal, Leija illegally reentered the United States during the Spring of 2024, and by May 2024 was already coordinating a load of methamphetamine hidden in 16 pallets of lettuce:
Leija coordinated and oversaw the smuggling of multiple additional large loads of methamphetamine during July, August, and September 2024. These loads were also hidden in shipments of lettuce, and often included hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine at a time:
One load from September 2024 included at least approximately 500 kilograms of methamphetamine by itself:
Evidence in the case also depicted a large number of firearms that were possessed during this conspiracy, including more than twenty that were depicted in these photographs from July 2024:
As the conspiracy continued, law enforcement learned that Leija and his co-conspirators were receiving the shipments of methamphetamine at a secluded property in Atascosa, Texas. After unloading the methamphetamine at the Atascosa property, Leija’s drug organization distributed the methamphetamine into the San Antonio community and surrounding areas.
On October 17, 2024, after obtaining a federal search warrant for the property, law enforcement observed a semi-truck with a flatbed trailer arrive at the ranch. Immediately prior to executing the warrant, law enforcement observed a group of individuals, overseen by Leija, spend several hours using welding tools to cut open hidden compartments on the trailer.
Shortly after midnight on October 18, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant and found dozens of packages of methamphetamine that had been wrapped in tape, covered in grease, and secreted inside of hidden compartments on the flatbed trailer that had been welded shut. Subsequent DEA laboratory testing confirmed that the packages seized on this day alone contained 63 kilograms of 100% methamphetamine hydrochloride, i.e., crystal meth.
Agents arrested Leija inside an RV on the property. Agents found a firearm and $21,646.00 in U.S. currency in that RV, and another firearm elsewhere on the property.
Leija was arrested along with co-conspirators Francis Edward “Eddie” Hilliard and Richard William Aaron Patton. The trio were charged with various offenses, including Conspiring to Possess with Intent to Distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. All three Defendants subsequently pled guilty to that charge.
In addition to Leija’s sentence of 27 years, Hilliard, who is 77 years old, was sentenced last month to 145 months in prison, and Patton is scheduled to be sentenced later this month.
“Mr. Leija ignored our immigration laws, ignored our drug laws, and ignored our gun laws,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. “However, he cannot ignore the fact that he will now spend the next couple of decades behind walls of steel and concrete. I want to thank our law enforcement partners who helped put this case together and to AUSA John Fedock, who carried this case through to the finish line.”
“Drug traffickers smuggle more than just illegal drugs—they bring violence, fuel crime, and put American lives at risk with every shipment," said DEA San Antonio Field Division Special Agent in Charge Miguel Madrigal. Through the dedicated efforts of DEA San Antonio and its law enforcement partners, thousands of lethal doses of illegal drugs were prevented from reaching San Antonio and communities across the nation. This prosecution is another victory that reflects the DEA’s unwavering commitment to protecting the public, disrupting drug trafficking organizations, and saving American lives.”
“It is our priority to make the community safer, and by removing the leader of a prolific drug trafficking organization, we have gotten one step closer to our goal,” said Daniel Faith, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Antonio Field Office. "Along with our law enforcement partners, we have been able to disrupt the distribution of drugs throughout our community. Let this be a message that we will not back down from our fight against violent organized crime.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Antonio Police Department, Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, and Hondo Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Fedock prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (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 United States 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 comprises agents and officers from FBI; ICE HSI; DEA; ATF; U.S. Border Patrol; USMS; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation; IRS Criminal Investigation; Texas Department of Public Safety; as well as local police departments and sheriff’s offices, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
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Homeland Security Task Force Led by U.S. Border Patrol Targeting Unit Sends San Antonio Woman to Federal Prison for 40 YearsRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A Homeland Security Task Force case resulted in a San Antonio woman being sentenced today to 40 years in federal prison for her role in an illegal alien hostage taking conspiracy disrupted by the U.S. Border Patrol Targeting Unit, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, on Aug. 4, 2024, Jailene Marisol Reyes, 28, made a phone call to a man, telling him that his fiancé was being held at Reyes’s house and that if he did not pay a $6,000 ransom, the fiancé would be sold to other people. San Marcos Police Department officers traced the phone number from the man’s phone to Reyes as part of their investigation and requested assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety. After a meet-up was arranged between the man and Reyes, TX DPS troopers conducted a traffic stop on Reyes, arresting her and rescuing the hostage. A stolen handgun was also located inside Reyes’s vehicle.
Further investigation revealed that Reyes allegedly worked for Spencer Garnett Demps aka “Chucky” and assisted in the smuggling of illegal aliens into the United States. Reyes also stated that the hostage had been transported to her from Eagle Pass and that, while Reyes expected to be paid, she wouldn’t receive payment until the hostage was released to her family.
Reyes was named in a five-count indictment on May 28, 2025, charged with conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, harboring illegal aliens for profit, conspiracy to commit hostage taking, and hostage taking. She was arrested on June 6, 2025, and pleaded guilty on Jan. 5, 2026, to one count of conspiracy to commit hostage taking. During the sentencing hearing the victim in the hostage taking event testified that she was told by the organization that she would be sold or sex trafficked, if her fiancé did not pay the ransom. Ultimately, the fiancé did show up to a predetermined location to pay the $5,000 ransom, but a co-defendant robbed him at gun point and the organization continued to hold the victim until she was rescued.
Co-defendant Jonathan Andre West was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison on May 14, 2025. Mario Barrientos Jr. pleaded guilty on Feb. 9, to one count of conspiracy to commit hostage taking, and Nicholas Sagini Nyaosi both pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens. They both remain in custody awaiting sentencing. Spencer Garnett Demps was arrested on Dec. 6, 2024, and remains in custody pending further court proceedings.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Warsame Galaydh and Brett Miner prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (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 United States 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 comprises agents and officers from FBI; ICE HSI; DEA; ATF; U.S. Border Patrol; USMS; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation; IRS Criminal Investigation; Texas Department of Public Safety; as well as local police departments and sheriff’s offices, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
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Defendant Who Was Extradited from Guatemala Pleads Guilty for Involvement in 2022 Mass Casualty Alien Smuggling EventRead the Press Release
A Guatemalan man pleaded guilty today for his involvement in a 2022 mass casualty alien smuggling event in San Antonio, Texas, that resulted in 53 deaths and 11 aliens injured.
“Miranda-Orozco was an important organizer in a complex alien smuggling organization that prioritized profits and endangered people,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This case highlights that immigration offenses and alien smuggling have far-reaching impacts. Here, 53 people lost their lives. Targeting those involved in these dangerous crimes and aggressively prosecuting them remains one of the highest priorities of the Department. The Criminal Division and our partners will continue to ensure border security, the orderly administration of our immigration laws, and the protection provided by those laws.”
“Sixty-four people suffered through sweltering Texas heat in the back of a smuggling trailer, leaving less than a dozen survivors clinging to life, all because smugglers like Miranda-Orozco decided profits were worth more than human lives,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “This guilty plea is another step toward justice for every one of those 64 and their families, and it sends a clear message that no matter where you attempt to hide, this office, the greater Department of Justice, and our law enforcement partners across the government, will find you and hold you accountable.”
“Together, we have ensured that Orozco will face justice for the unimaginable pain and suffering he inflicted on so many people in the name of greed,” said Executive Associate Director John Condon of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “Our efforts will undoubtedly prevent further loss of life at the hands of this criminal and will help ensure vulnerable individuals are protected from the dangers of human smuggling.”
According to court documents, Miranda-Orozco conspired with other human smugglers to facilitate the travel of multiple aliens from Guatemala through Mexico, and ultimately, to the United States. Miranda-Orozco organized and facilitated the smuggling of multiple aliens for illegal entry into the United States who ended up dying or injured in the back of a tractor trailer that was found in San Antonio on June 27, 2022. The tractor trailer was loaded with 64 aliens and investigators later determined that it had traveled approximately 156 miles from Laredo, Texas, to San Antonio in 90-degree Fahrenheit heat without functioning air conditioning in the trailer. First responders pronounced 48 aliens dead at the scene and five aliens later died at the hospital, totaling 53 deceased. Among the deceased were six juveniles and at least one pregnant woman. Two of Miranda-Orozco’s clients, both illegal aliens from Guatemala, died in the tractor trailer mass casualty incident. According to court documents, Miranda-Orozco admitted that he arranged for the aliens’ transportation and accommodations throughout Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States.
Photo depicting size of trailer. Image of claw marks inside trailer.In August 2024, Miranda-Orozco was arrested in Guatemala pursuant to a U.S. request for his extradition. His arrest was part of a large-scale takedown during which Guatemalan law enforcement executed multiple search and arrest warrants across Guatemala. He was extradited from Guatemala in March 2025.
Miranda-Orozco pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bring an alien into the United States resulting in death; aiding and abetting bringing an alien into the United States resulting in death; and aiding and abetting bringing an alien into the United States resulting in serious bodily injury. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 8 and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI San Antonio led U.S. investigative efforts, working in concert with HSI Guatemala’s invaluable team members, and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. HSI received substantial assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center/Operation Sentinel; U.S. Border Patrol; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the San Antonio Police Department; the San Antonio Fire Department; and the Palestine Police Department. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Guatemala to secure the arrest and extradition of Miranda-Orozco and, along with the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT), provided crucial assistance in this matter.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Alexandra Skinnion of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney/JTFA prosecutor Jose Luis Acosta for the Western District of Texas, with assistance from HRSP Historian/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall.
The Justice Department thanks its Guatemalan law enforcement partners, who were instrumental in arresting Miranda-Orozco, and the Guatemalan Attorney General’s Office and Anti-Human Smuggling Unit for making the extradition possible.
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 Acting 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 Assistant U.S. Attorney-detailees 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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including HSI and Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol and Office of Field Operations as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 464 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 414 U.S. convictions; and more than 360 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
Mexican National Sentenced to Prison for Drugging and Smuggling Unaccompanied Alien Children into the United StatesRead the Press Release
A Mexican national was sentenced today to five years in prison for smuggling children into the United States from Mexico.
According to court documents, Manuel Valenzuela, 35, and other members of an alien smuggling organization brought unaccompanied alien children between the ages of five and 13 illegally into the United States from Juarez, Mexico, sometimes using candy laced with THC to sedate them during smuggling events. The drivers and their co-conspirators would then present U.S. documents to inspecting officers falsely claiming the documents belonged to the children, and that they were the parents of the children. Once inside the United States, the children were then transported to El Paso. During one smuggling event, one of the children was taken to a local hospital and diagnosed with THC poisoning.
A photo of THC gummies recovered by agents during secondary inspection at the port of entry. A photo of Manuel Valenzuela entering the United States shortly before the attempted smuggling of several alien children.“Needing to sedate children with THC under the guise of giving them candy, shows just how heinous crimes like this are,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Smuggling unaccompanied children into the country, pretending to be their parents, and then lying to U.S. immigration officials shows the lengths to which criminals like this will go to smuggle children across our borders. The Criminal Division and our law enforcement partners will put an end to this conduct. Protecting children and keeping our borders safe go hand-in-hand.”
“We fight every day in the Western District of Texas to ensure that the people and organizations responsible for heinous crimes like this are brought to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Criminal organizations like this one would be well advised to think twice before engaging in this type of crime. Our message to them is this: we will find you, we will secure a conviction, and we will ensure you are removed from society for as long as possible.”
“Drug traffickers who exploit children as part of their criminal schemes show total disregard for human life and safety,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan G. McRae of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso. “Using THC-infused candy to facilitate the smuggling of children across the border into the United States is reprehensible and cruel and puts vulnerable minors at serious risk. HSI will relentlessly pursue transnational criminal organizations responsible for these heinous tactics and bring them to justice.”
Valenzuela pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport aliens, three counts of bringing aliens without authorization for financial gain, and one count of aiding and abetting on Nov. 10, 2025.
HSI El Paso and U.S. Border Patrol led investigative efforts, with substantial assistance from HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. and Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force.
Trial Attorney Bethany Allen of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Hines for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
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 Assistant U.S. Attorney-detailees 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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including HSI and Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol and Office of Field Operations as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 464 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 414 U.S. convictions; and more than 360 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Kyle Man Pleads Guilty in $3.2 Million Corporate Embezzlement CaseRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – A Kyle man pleaded guilty in a federal court in Austin to embezzling more than $3.2 million from his former employer, Austin Freight Systems (AFS), announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, Mitchell David Slentz, 34, was in charge of accounting operations at AFS, overseeing all accounting activities, financial reporting and internal controls, including submitting requests to JP Morgan Chase Bank to make payments to AFS’s vendors. Beginning no later than October 2023 and continuing at least until about March 2025, Slentz fraudulently misappropriated money from AFS through 147 payments, and deposited approximately $3,277,937.35 into his personal bank accounts through the use of interstate wire communications.
Using the criminally derived money, Slentz paid $25,000 on July 24, 2024, and $33,887.83 on Sept. 3, 2024, for student loan debt. Additional fraudulent activities were revealed through financial analyses of several of Slentz’s accounts. Furthermore, Slentz gambled extensively on an online gambling platform, depositing and/or winning more than $1 million through online gambling.
Slentz was charged via information on May 14 and made his initial appearance in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Dustin M. Howell on June 8. On June 29, he pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of engaging in monetary transactions with criminally derived proceeds. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Austin White Collar Crime Task Force investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Somers is prosecuting the case.
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Former Soldier-Turned-Contractor Found Guilty of Stealing over $1 Million of MREs in El PasoRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – A federal jury convicted a former U.S. Army civilian contractor in El Paso for stealing more than 200 pallets of Meals-Ready-to-Eat (MREs) valued at approximately $1,120,000, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons. The case is being prosecuted in support of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Joseph Lavar Davis, 47, was named along with three other co-defendants in a two-count indictment on Feb. 12, 2025, for conspiracy to commit theft of government property and a substantive count of theft of government property between Feb. 24, 2020, and Aug. 12, 2020.
On Aug. 12, 2020, FBI and Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division agents executed a search warrant at a civilian warehouse in El Paso, where they found about 100 pallets of MREs. The investigation revealed that the owner of the company using the warehouse was purchasing the MREs from individuals who had stolen them from Ft. Bliss.
Each of the indicted individuals played a role in the scheme, which involved a civilian contractor who knew how to request and pick up the MREs, a soldier to assist in picking up and transporting the MREs, an intermediary between the buyer of the MREs and these two individuals, and the civilian who sold the MREs online.
The investigation showed a scheme involving false paperwork to obtain MREs from Ft. Bliss, truck rentals to transport the MREs, coordination among the co-conspirators to pick up and deliver the MREs, communications and financial transactions between the co-conspirators.
While in the Army, Davis held a position in food service supply where he gained knowledge of the process to obtain MREs. Upon retirement, he was hired into a similar position as a civilian contractor and used that position to exploit the process and steal MREs from Ft. Bliss.
Davis created false requests, rented trucks to transport the MRE pallets, and picked up or arranged for others to pick up the MREs from Ft. Bliss. Davis also coordinated various individuals involved to obtain, deliver, and receive payment for the MREs. Davis both negotiated the sales price and received payment for the MREs.
“Joseph Davis betrayed the very country he once swore to protect in an effort to satisfy his own selfish ambition and a jury of his peers held him accountable for it,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. “Rooting out fraud that undermines our government and our military readiness is a priority of this administration. I want to thank our Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Lori Hughes and Mallory Rasmussen, as well as our support staff and law enforcement partners, for their excellent work in bringing this fraudster to justice. Their dedication resulted in a win for the Western District of Texas, a win for Justice, and a win for the American people.”
"This conviction should send a clear message the FBI and our law enforcement partners at the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division make it a priority to bring to justice those who resort to theft of government property for ill-gotten gain”, said Jarod Brown, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI El Paso Field Office. “We are stronger when we work together to seek justice and will continue to combat these issues through strong partnerships.”
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lori Hughes and Mallory Rasmussen are prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ('Fraud Division'). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports 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.
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Member of Vast International Alien Smuggling Organization Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
A Mexican man extradited from Mexico pleaded guilty today for conspiring to smuggle thousands of aliens from multiple countries into the United States for financial gain.
According to court documents, beginning in November 2020 and continuing through September 2023, Efrain Zuniga-Garcia, 38, of Mexico, and others were part of a vast international alien smuggling organization (ASO) that illegally brought thousands of aliens from Afghanistan, Yemen, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, and Ecuador into the United States across the border with Mexico. The ASO operated stash houses in Monterrey, Mexico and Piedras Negras, Mexico. A Pakistani smuggler based in Brazil originally contracted with aliens to enter the smuggling venture. In turn, this Brazilian-based smuggler worked with a San Antonio, Texas, based smuggler and an illegal alien from Honduras, Enil Edil Mejia-Zuniga, to facilitate travel of the aliens from South America to the United States. Mejia-Zuniga directed operations, as well as paid armed foot guides (“coyotes”), load drivers, and stash house operators, including Zuniga-Garcia. According to court documents, Mejia-Zuniga admitted that the ASO smuggled between 2,500 to 3,000 aliens into the United States in just two years. Mejia-Zuniga stated the organization charged between $6,500 to $12,000 per alien, totaling approximately $16 to $30 million in financial gain. Mejia-Zuniga was sentenced to 10 years in prison in July 2025. Co-defendant Monica Hernandez-Palma, 34, of Mexico, was sentenced to 41 months in prison in May 2026.
Zuniga-Garcia operated the stash house in Monterrey and coordinated with other members of the ASO to transport aliens to the stash house and then illegally into the United States. Zuniga-Garcia worked with others to house aliens for a period, after which the aliens would be turned over to the “coyotes,” who led them across the U.S.-Mexico border by crossing the Rio Grande River.
Zuniga-Garcia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States, bringing an alien to the United States for financial gain, and aiding and abetting. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Zuniga Garcia faces a mandatory minimum penalty of three years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas; and Acting Special Agent in Charge John A. Pasciucco of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio made the announcement.
HSI Del Rio led U.S. investigative efforts, working in concert with the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force and U.S. Border Patrol (BP). The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Zuniga-Garcia.
Trial Attorney Bethany Allen of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Duarte II for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
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 Assistant U.S. Attorney-detailees 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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol and Office of Field Operations as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 464 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 414 U.S. convictions; and more than 360 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
450 New Immigration Cases Filed in Western District of Texas in 2 WeeksRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 450 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from June 12 through June 25, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons.
Charges were brought against human smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for numerous DWIs, violent crimes including assault and homicide, sex crimes against children, thefts, and multiple prior removals.
Among the new cases, convicted felon and illegal alien from Mexico, Jose Gilberto Padilla-Yepez, was arrested near Eagle Pass and charged with illegal re-entry. Padilla-Yepez has been deported four times, the last one being in August 2022. His lengthy criminal record includes a 1991 homicide conviction and three previous burglary convictions in Dallas, a conviction in Nebraska for theft over $1,500, and a conviction in Arizona for robbery, assault, sexual assault, burglary and kidnapping.
Also an illegal alien from Mexico, Juan Antonio Gonzalez Escamilla was arrested near Eagle Pass and charged with illegal re-entry. In January, Gonzalez Escamilla was convicted of illegal re-entry for the second time and deported for the sixth time immediately after. In addition to the two immigration convictions, Gonzalez Escamilla’s criminal record includes three DWI convictions.
Martin Flores-Romero was arrested and charged with illegal re-entry near Eagle Pass on June 19. Flores-Romero is an illegal alien from Mexico who was deported for the second time in December 2025. He was convicted three times in 2023: once for tampering with government records, once for assault causing bodily injury, and once for terroristic threat causing imminent fear.
Pedro Euceda-Aguero, an illegal alien from Honduras, is charged with illegal re-entry after he was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents near Eagle Pass on June 19. Euceda-Aguero was removed from the U.S. for the fourth time in December 2022. He has been previously convicted of four DWIs as well as escape from custody.
Illegal alien from Mexico, Francisco Javier Perez-Solis, was charged with illegal re-entry in San Antonio. Perez-Solis was encountered at the Atascosa County Jail in Jourdanton after he was arrested for assault causing bodily injury to a family member. He was transferred to ICE custody on June 24. In addition to the recent assault conviction, Perez-Solis’s criminal history includes three DWI convictions. He has been removed from the U.S. twice, the last being in June 2024.
Jose Humberto Gonzalez Calderon, an illegal alien from Mexico, was found in the Hays County Jail, where he was being held after receiving a deferred adjudication probation for a child grooming charge. He was transferred into ICE custody on June 16. Gonzalez Calderon’s criminal record includes convictions for a DWI and possession of a controlled substance in 2020, and a criminal trespass conviction in 2021. He was removed from the U.S. to Mexico in December 2021.
Carlos Emmanuel Gonzalez-Chavez, also an illegal alien from Mexico found in the Hays County Jail, was serving a sentence for assault causing bodily injury prior to being transferred to ICE custody. In 2025, he was convicted of possession of a controlled substance. Gonzalez-Chavez, who was previously removed from the U.S. in 2019, now faces a federal charge for illegal re-entry.
U.S. citizen Tony Nefi Deanda was charged with alien smuggling in El Paso. U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Ysleta Border Patrol Station apprehended eight undocumented minors near Socorro after the aliens crossed the Rio Grande River and used a ladder to climb over the international boundary fence. An investigation led the agents to identify Deanda as the alleged smuggler in contact with the apprehended aliens. Deanda was later detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry, arrested and transported to the Ysleta Border Patrol Station for further investigation. In 2021, Deanda was convicted of importation of 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and sentenced to 37 months in prison.
Michelle Aimee Rivera, also a U.S. citizen and a convicted alien smuggler, was arrested after attempting to enter the U.S. through the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry on June 12. At the POE, her prior history of alien smuggling, including smuggling of minors, activated an alert and investigatory hold for her entry into the U.S. The investigation revealed that Rivera had allegedly smuggled a female child into the U.S. through the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry on June 5 using her daughter’s U.S. birth certificate. Rivera also stated, according to a criminal complaint, that she was paid $1,000 to smuggle the child and that she recorded a video of the video to send to a co-conspirator via cell phone, as she had been instructed to do. In 2017, Rivera was convicted of bringing in and harboring aliens and was sentenced to 24 months of probation.
Guadalupe Guerrero is charged with alien smuggling following her arrest on June 18. U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Ysleta Border Patrol Station tracked a van from Fabens to El Paso. The van was allegedly identified as being involved in a previous alien smuggling attempt in April. According to a criminal complaint, the agents observed multiple subjects, appearing wet and muddy, exit the van and enter an apartment. Later that morning, agents allegedly observed Guerrero arrive at the apartment in a large SUV. The agents investigated the apartment, which was noted in the complaint as being dirty and unkempt with scattered trash and a foul smell. Inside, the agents allegedly encountered Guerrero with her seven children. Further investigation revealed that Guerrero was allegedly housing illegal aliens and coordinating with a smuggler.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
These 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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Kyle Man Sentenced to 24 Years in Federal Prison for String of Austin Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – A Kyle man was sentenced in a federal court in Austin to 288 months in prison for three charges related to multiple armed robberies he committed in 2025, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, Yael Williams, 39, used a firearm during robberies at a Subway restaurant and two 7-11 stores in Austin in June and July 2025. In the presence of store employees, Williams took cash and other property by force and by threatening the employees with a .22 caliber revolver. During his robbery of the Subway restaurant, Williams fired several shots at two bystanders, one of whom was attempting to intervene and prevent the robbery.
Williams pleaded guilty in November to one count of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and two counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
“When you pull a gun on someone in this district, you will face serious consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “Yael Williams robbed three businesses, shot at bystanders, and, in so doing, showed a callous disregard for human life. Americans cannot make good on the promise of America when they don’t feel safe in the very place in which they live. In the Western District, we’re committed to making our neighborhoods, towns, and cities places where Americans can thrive, not merely survive. The sentence secured in this case shows our commitment to that mission.”
The Austin Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Buie prosecuted the case.
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22-Year-Old Austin Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl DeathRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – An Austin man was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, Keithrick Carter, 22, was a drug dealer who primarily sold blue “M30” fentanyl pills and marijuana. On March 23, 2023, a 24-year-old male living in Leander was found deceased in his apartment. In the man’s bathroom, Leander Police found an unlabeled pill bottle containing one blue “M30” pill and some marijuana. The autopsy and toxicology determined the cause of death as “drug toxicity: fentanyl.” A review of the deceased man’s phone revealed a text exchange between the victim and Carter.
An investigation by the Austin Police Department confirmed that Carter was dealing fentanyl in the form of blue “M30” pills. Carter was indicted for one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death on May 6, 2025. He was arrested on May 21, 2025, and pleaded guilty on Feb. 19, 2026. U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman sentenced Carter on June 24.
“This administration has made clear that protecting Americans from the fentanyl crisis is a national priority, and we are at the front of that fight every day in this district,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “Keithrick Carter knowingly sold poison in a pill bottle to a young man in our community. He was held directly responsible for that young man’s death and will now spend the next 20 years of his life in federal prison. However, no measure of manmade justice can assuage the pain felt by the victim’s family in this case. The best we can do is to remove the defendant from society so that he cannot inflict the same level of grief on any other families in our community. I’m proud of AUSA Keith Henneke and our law enforcement partners for making that happen in this case.”
“Fentanyl remains the deadliest drug threat facing our nation, devastating families and claiming the lives of young people across the country,” said Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration San Antonio Division, Miguel Madrigal. “That is why the DEA remains committed to holding those who traffic this deadly substance into our communities accountable and to protecting the safety and well-being of our citizens.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Leander Police Department, and the Austin Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Henneke prosecuted the case.
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U.S. Attorney Announces Major Health Care Fraud Cases in Western District of TexasRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – United States Attorney Justin R. Simmons announced criminal charges against Christina Charles, 52, in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Medicare. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.
Charles is charged by indictment with conspiracy to defraud the United States and to solicit and receive health care kickbacks in connection with a hospice fraud scheme. As alleged in the indictment, Charles received illegal kickbacks in return for referring patients to multiple San Antonio area hospice companies. Based on those referrals, Charles caused the submission of over $9 million in claims for hospice services that were procured through illegal kickbacks and bribes and ineligible for Medicare reimbursement. Medicare paid approximately $3 million based on those claims. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Chung of the Western District of Texas.
“Americans place a lot of trust in their healthcare providers,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “When those in the healthcare field engage in fraudulent conduct, it erodes that trust. Here in the Western District of Texas, we have and will continue to hold providers accountable, both civilly and criminally, when they attempt to defraud federal healthcare programs and steal from the American taxpayer.”
The charges announced by U.S. Attorney Simmons are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death.
The Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history.
In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week Takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with an over $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme.
The Takedown involved the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of over $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor’s offices to corporate boardrooms.
This coordinated enforcement action involves a whole-of-government approach, including:
- Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers.
- 48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to over $73 million, over 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”) under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers.
- Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million.
- 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025.
Also, as part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, Ellen B. Duncan, M.D., of Boerne, and her practice entity, Ellen Boyle Duncan, PLLC d/b/a Duncan Medical Group, located in San Antonio, reached a civil settlement in the amount of $3,440,538.65 to resolve allegations that Dr. Duncan: (i) caused the submission of claims to Medicare and TRICARE for injections of Fluid Flow, aka Fluid GF, an amniotic-based product that is considered an experimental, unapproved biologic; and (ii) upon being later informed this product was not eligible for reimbursement, took steps to avoid repayment of the reimbursements. The case was settled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin M. Van De Walle of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit for the Western District of Texas.
In Killeen, Trevor’s Place LLC, an applied behavioral analysis clinic located in Killeen, Texas, agreed to entry of a $430,280.79 civil consent judgment to resolve allegations the company submitted inflated claims for reimbursement to the TRICARE program by misrepresenting and billing for services not provided. The case was settled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Parnham for the Western District of Texas.
Descriptions of each case from Districts across the country involved in the Health Care Fraud enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here.
An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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Illegal Aliens Sentenced to Decades in Federal Prison for Sex Trafficking Child OrphanRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Two illegal aliens from Venezuela were sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to a combined 32 years in prison for sex trafficking of a 16-year-old starting in Colombia and extending to Richmond, Kentucky and San Antonio, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Giannys Alexandra Ramirez-Fernandez, 21, and Nelson Adrian Perez-Martinez, 23, conspired, knowing that a 16-year-old undocumented Venezuelan orphan, would be caused to engage in a commercial sex act.
Ramirez-Fernandez, who was 17 years old at the time, began a relationship with the minor victim when the minor was 13 years old and living with her adopted parents in Colombia. The two crossed illegally into the United States in December 2022. Perez-Martinez, a friend of Ramirez-Fernandez from Venezuela, crossed illegally into the U.S. in December 2023 and joined them. Perez-Martinez and Ramirez-Fernandez traveled with the minor victim from Kentucky to San Antonio for the minor victim to engage in prostitution. Once in San Antonio, an advertisement was posted on personals for commercial sex with the minor victim. All three – Ramirez-Fernandez, Perez-Martinez, and the minor victim – shared in the proceeds from the commercial sex.
An investigation revealed that, in 2024, Perez-Martinez and Ramirez-Fernandez accompanied the minor to approximately six different motels in San Antonio from July 19 to July 30. The three shared a room at each location, paid for in cash by proceeds from the child’s commercial sex acts.
Perez-Martinez and Ramirez-Fernandez were arrested on July 30, 2024, as part of an ongoing investigation into domestic sex trafficking. An undercover San Antonio Police officer with the Human Exploitation Unit responded to an advertisement posted on a website for escort services. Posing as a customer, the officer contacted the phone number on the advertisement and was instructed to meet at the Studio 6 motel on Pasteur Court in San Antonio. Once the undercover was in the motel room with the minor, the victim agreed to sexual services for a fee, and the officer signaled for the arrest team. Simultaneously, Perez-Martinez and Ramirez-Fernandez were arrested, as they were identified as spotters for the operation.
On Sept. 17, 2025, Ramirez-Fernandez pleaded guilty to three counts: aiding and abetting sex trafficking of children, conspiracy to sex traffic children, and transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. On Oct. 1, 2025, federal prosecutors filed a five-count superseding indictment charging Perez-Martinez with aiding and abetting sex trafficking children; aiding and abetting benefitting from sex trafficking children; conspiracy to sex traffic children; aiding and abetting coercion and enticement; and transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. A jury found Perez-Martinez guilty on all counts on Feb. 23, 2026. Prior to that, in October, an initial trial for Perez-Martinez resulted in a hung jury.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery sentenced Perez-Martinez to 240 months in federal prison and lifetime supervised release. On Tuesday, Judge Biery sentenced Ramirez-Fernandez to 150 months in federal prison.
“We will not abide illegal aliens who come to this country, take advantage of our many freedoms, and then enrich themselves to the detriment of others,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “The illegal alien defendants in this case sought to enrich themselves to the detriment of a child by forcing that child to engage in sex with adult men, and now they’re getting paid exactly what they’re owed: decades in prison.”
“Human trafficking has no place in the world,” said acting Special Agent in Charge, John A. Pasciucco, HSI San Antonio. “The suffering and abuse endured by the minor victims at the hands of this organization is unconscionable, and these sentences reflect the severity of those crimes. Our agents, analysts, and specialists work tirelessly—both globally and domestically—to pursue traffickers and, most importantly, to rescue victims across the country and around the world,”
Homeland Security Investigations and the San Antonio Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia McNab and Sade Bogart 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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Homeland Security Task Force Case Sends Sibling Co-Conspirators to Federal Prison for Roles in Transnational Criminal OrganizationRead the Press Release
As the result of a Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) investigation, a brother and sister were both sentenced this week to life in prison and 33 years in prison, respectively, for their roles in a large-scale alien smuggling organization (ASO) directly linked to the Cartel De Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG).
“The individuals sentenced today for coordinating these crimes are a stark reminder of the deadly consequences of human trafficking across the southern border,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Under this Administration and this Department of Justice, such heinous criminal conduct and collaboration with deadly Mexican cartels will not be tolerated.”
“The reach of Mexican drug cartels does not stop at the border,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “This violent, cartel-backed Alien Smuggling Organization operated for years in this country, endangering the lives and livelihood of so many. This case shows why our goal of eliminating Mexican drug cartels and their affiliates is worthy, necessary, and in the best interest of the American people. Working shoulder-to-shoulder with our HSTF partners, the Western District of Texas will continue to aggressively lead the way.”
“HSI Eagle Pass’s unwavering commitment to justice has resulted in the lengthy imprisonment of two ruthless human smugglers whose actions led to hostage taking and the tragic loss of life,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge John A. Pasciucco of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio. “This sentencing sends a powerful message: HSI will never tolerate those who exploit and endanger innocent lives for profit. The success of this HSTF investigation highlights the vital importance of collaboration. Our agents, working closely with dedicated law enforcement partners, dismantled Guzman’s criminal enterprise and ensured they face the full weight of justice. By combining our resources and expertise through the HSTF, we safeguard our communities and bring the most dangerous offenders to justice.”
According to court documents, Edgar Daniel Guzman, 32, of Albertville, Alabama, was a leader/organizer of a Transnational Criminal Organization that operated in Mexico and across the southern United States — including Alabama, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas — since at least 2021. Between 2021 and 2026, the ASO committed numerous acts of violence including murder, attempted murder, home invasion, and armed kidnapping. In his role, Guzman coordinated several failed alien smuggling attempts on behalf of the ASO and maintained CashApp accounts that revealed direct ties to co-conspirators and financial transactions connecting to corresponding smuggling events. Guzman pleaded guilty on July 21, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to commit hostage taking. He was sentenced on June 22 to life in prison.
Guzman’s sister, Jesika Guzman-Garcia, 35, an illegal alien from Guanajuato, Mexico, was one of many co-conspirators in the ASO. She was tied to a smuggling event that resulted in the deaths of the smuggling load driver and two illegal aliens. As in her brother’s case, an investigation revealed that a CashApp account belonging to Guzman-Garcia was linked to several failed human smuggling events within the Western District of Texas. Using the app, Guzman-Garcia made 459 payments to individuals from July 25, 2018, to April 1, 2023, totaling $84,046. Guzman-Garcia pleaded guilty on Aug. 7, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death. She was sentenced on June 23 to 405 months in federal prison.
Flipped vehicle from failed smuggling attempt that resulted in the deaths of three people.Chief U.S. District Court Judge Alia Moses for the Western District of Texas sentenced Guzman and Guzman-Garcia and presides over the case. More related sentencings are scheduled in the coming months.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Miner for the Western District of Texas prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (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 United States 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 comprises agents and officers from FBI; ICE HSI; DEA; ATF; U.S. Border Patrol; USMS; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation; IRS Criminal Investigation; Texas Department of Public Safety; as well as local police departments and sheriff’s offices, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
Hondo Man Who Threatened to Violently Overthrow the U.S. Government in 2025 Found Guilty by Federal JuryRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A federal jury in San Antonio convicted a Hondo man today of one count of Interstate Threatening Communication, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Jay Anthony Villarreal, 25, left his home in Hondo on June 28, 2025, with the intent to carry out an attack in Washington D.C., to overthrow the government. Villarreal was armed with an AR-15 semi-automatic assault weapon, a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, and a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, along with extra loaded magazines and multiple boxes of ammunition for each gun. He also possessed in his vehicle a police scanner, binoculars, a Bible, and a copy of the Texas Penal Code.
As part of his plan to overthrow the government, Villarreal used social media in an effort to solicit military veterans to join him. A friend of Villarreal’s in Maryland saw the social media post on the morning of June 29, 2025, viewed it as potential mass murder situation, and reported it to the FBI. Another of Villarreal’s acquaintances from Hondo was disturbed by the messages and wanted to avert a mass killing so he reported it to the Hondo police. Furthermore, multiple family members and friends sent messages to Villarreal while he was on his drive from Hondo to Washington D.C., prompting him to turn around in the Beaumont area and return home on June 29 at approximately 8:00 pm. Later that day, FBI agents searched Villarreal’s home, resulting in the discovery of two U.S. military smoke grenades—all in addition to the firearms and materials he had in his vehicle.
Villarreal was arrested on July 2, 2025. U.S. District Judge Fred Biery presided over a jury trial that began on June 15, 2026, and resulted in the guilty verdict. A sentencing hearing is currently scheduled for Sept. 21.
“Today, a federal jury found this defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt for threatening to carry out a violent attack in our Nation’s capital,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “Thankfully, in this case, friends and family members recognized the veracity of the threat and contacted the FBI, preventing what could have been a mass casualty event. Given the darkness that invades the minds of so many, and the prevalence of violent acts committed in the name of politics, it is more important now than ever to say something if you see something. That single decision can lead to a swift response and lives saved, as it did in this case. Special thanks to the FBI and Hondo Police for acting quickly and recognizing the seriousness of the situation.”
“Threats of violence against the U.S. government or the community, particularly when coupled with access to firearms, demand the utmost seriousness,” said Daniel Faith, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Antonio Field Office. “We commend the Hondo Police Department for its swift action and prompt reporting to the FBI. We also would like to thank members of the community who saw something and reported their concerns to law enforcement. This guilty verdict underscores the strength of our coordinated efforts through the FBI San Antonio Joint Terrorism Task Force and makes clear that those who threaten violence will be brought to justice.”
The FBI-Joint Terrorism Task Force, including the San Antonio Police Department, Hondo Police Department, and UTSA Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Roomberg and Kirk Mangels are prosecuting the case.
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