Western District of Texas
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Homeland Security Task Force Investigation Results in Texas Woman’s 24-Year Federal Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – As a result of a Homeland Security Task Force investigation, a Big Lake woman was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 288 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, on April 4, 2022, Anahi Sanchez, 28, approached the Del Rio Port of Entry driving a Chevrolet Camaro, and applied for entry into the United States from Mexico. Sanchez told the U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer (CBPO) that she and her son, who was also in the vehicle, were returning to Big Lake after visiting family in Mexico. The CBPO referred Sanchez to a vehicle inspection, which resulted in the discovery of anomalies in the driver and passenger rear quarter-panels of the vehicle. A subsequent canine inspection resulted in a positive alert for narcotics, and a physical inspection revealed 30 packages hidden in a trap door near the rear driver side and passenger side wheel wells. All of the packages were determined to contain fentanyl, with a gross weight of 18 kilograms. Sanchez was placed under arrest on-site.
Law enforcement was able to determine that Sanchez was a regular and trusted courier for a transnational criminal organization and that she had crossed the international border numerous times in different vehicles loaded with narcotics. In total, she was held accountable for approximately 130 kilograms of fentanyl for her role in the criminal conspiracy. It was also determined by law enforcement that she typically took the narcotics to the greater Dallas/Fort Worth area.
Sanchez was named in a five-count indictment on May 4, 2022, and charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, conspiracy to import fentanyl, importation of fentanyl, and laundering of monetary instruments. On Dec. 16, 2022, Sanchez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Assistant U.S. Attorney 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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More Than 250 New Immigration Cases Added in Western District of TexasRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 254 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from June 5 through June 11, 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 crimes against children, thefts, and multiple prior removals. Across the district, 76 of the charges are for improper entry by an alien, 142 are for illegal re-entry, 20 cases are for alien smuggling, and 13 are for fraud and misuse of visas, permits and related documents.
Among the new cases, four individuals were arrested near Socorro and charged via a criminal complaint with alien smuggling after their alleged smuggling scheme was foiled by U.S. Border Patrol agents on June 7. The complaint alleges that agents located and apprehended eight illegal aliens who admitted they had crossed the Rio Grande River, used a ladder to climb over the international boundary fence, and entered the U.S. without inspection or authorization. During processing at the Ysleta Border Patrol Station, agents observed that one of the illegal aliens had received incoming calls and messages from multiple phone numbers associated with alien smuggling activity. Further investigation led to the location and arrests of Adrian Silvestre Ortiz, Sheyla Carrillo-Aguilar and Veronica Madrid, who were allegedly involved in the planned pickup and transportation of the illegal aliens. An alleged fourth conspirator, Irvin Alonso Guzman Luna, admitted he served as the foot guide for the illegal aliens after they crossed into the U.S., according to the criminal complaint.
U.S. citizen Ashley Villalobos is charged with alien smuggling for allegedly attempting to smuggle two Mexican children from Hidalgo that she picked up at a grocery store in Ciudad Juarez. A criminal complaint alleges that Villalobos stated she was going to be paid $1,500 per child and had smuggled illegal alien minors twice in May.
Raul Oliver Rede-Mendez, an illegal alien from Mexico with a lengthy record of felony convictions, was found at or near Texas State Highway Loop 375, about a half mile west of the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry in El Paso. Rede-Mendez has also gone by the names Raul Fierro-Mendez, Juan Rede, and Raul Reyes. He’s been removed from the U.S. four times, the last being in May 2024, following an illegal re-entry conviction. He’s also been convicted of failure to stop at the scene of personal injury, theft by shoplifting, obstructing judiciary/congress/legislature, assault, and more.
Edwin Eberaldo Miranda-Hinojosa, an illegal alien from Bolivia, was arrested in El Paso for allegedly attempting to evade immigration laws by appearing under an assumed or fictitious name. According to a criminal complaint, Miranda-Hinojosa applied for admission into the United States at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry via the pedestrian primary, presenting a counterfeit Border Crossing Card. The complaint alleges that Miranda-Hinojosa initially claimed that the document was his but then stated that he obtained it from another individual and was going to pay $4,000 for it after he entered the U.S. Miranda-Hinojosa was removed from the U.S. in December 2025, following his second DWI conviction within five years. He has also been previously convicted multiple times of assault and battery of a family member.
Javier Granados-Leon, an illegal alien from Mexico with eight prior deportations, was found in the Hays County Jail on June 4. His criminal record includes three convictions for improper entry by an alien, four convictions for illegal re-entry, two DWIs, two failures to identify, two convictions for manufacturing/delivering controlled substances, and one conviction for assault causing bodily injury. Granados-Leon has also gone by the names Miguel Basilio Hernandez and Mondregon-Jaimes. He’s now charged again with one count of illegal re-entry.
On June 5, ICE Enforcement Removal Operations officers responded to assist Texas Department of Public Safety State Troopers with a traffic stop on Interstate Highway 35 in New Braunfels. According to a criminal complaint, the driver of the pulled over vehicle was Alejandro Quezada-Mota, an illegal alien from Mexico, who was previously removed from the United States in December 2011. In April 2008, Quezada-Mota was convicted in Harris County of aggravated sexual assault of a child and was sentenced to seven years confinement. He now faces one count of illegal re-entry and, if he’s convicted, up to 20 years in federal prison.
In Del Rio, Santos Rutilio Barahona-Banegas, a convicted felon and illegal alien from Honduras, was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents. Barahona-Rojas has been deported five times, the most recent being in March 2023. His criminal record includes prior convictions of cocaine possession, family violence and child cruelty, illegal re-entry, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
Also in Del Rio, USBP agents arrested Fernando Omar Aguilar-Gonzalez aka Manuel Aguilar Pena. Aguilar-Gonzalez is an illegal alien from Mexico who has been deported from the U.S. four times, the last being in July 2019. He has been previously convicted of grand larceny, possession of a controlled substance, escape from confinement, and burglary of a habitation. He’s now 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.
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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Eagle Pass Stash House Operator Investigated by Homeland Security Task Force, Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – An Eagle Pass man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 225 months in prison for his leadership role as an illegal alien stash house operator, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, Edgar Alejandro Elizondo aka “Flaco,” 20, was a stash house operator and leader/organizer for a large-scale illegal alien smuggling organization (ASO). A Homeland Security Task Force investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations revealed that Elizondo operated several stash houses in Eagle Pass that fed the organization’s transportation cell, to include tractor-trailer transporting events. In at least one event, Elizondo was personally involved in holding illegal aliens at gun point.
Additionally, Elizondo was involved in an aggravated hostage-taking event in Houston, whereby the members of the ASO engaged in a daytime shootout in an effort to recover illegal aliens that had been stolen from a stash house operated by Elizondo.
On April 23, 2025, Elizondo was named in an eight-count superseding indictment. He was arrested on July 25, 2025, and has remained in custody since. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens placing lives in jeopardy on Dec. 22, 2025. Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses presides over the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney 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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2 Lawful Permanent Residents Charged with Attempting to Smuggle Juvenile Through El Paso Port of EntryRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – Two Lawful Permanent Residents from Mexico made their initial appearances in a federal court in El Paso this week, facing criminal charges related to their alleged smuggling of illegal aliens, including a minor, from Mexico into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, on June 7, Abraham Romo-Rivera, 39, and Amairani Munoz-Molinar, 29, approached the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry in a vehicle and applied for admission into the United States. The vehicle had New Mexico plates, and Romo-Rivera was allegedly the driver of the vehicle. Romo-Rivera was accompanied by multiple passengers, including Munoz-Molinar. A criminal complaint alleges that Romo-Rivera and Munoz-Molinar presented the U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer (CBPO) with their Lawful Permanent Resident Cards and Romo-Rivera additionally presented identification documents for two other passengers, declaring them to be his son and daughter. The documents allegedly bore the information of other individuals, and the CBPO noticed that the female passenger attempted to avoid showing her face.
The CBPO referred the vehicle to secondary inspection, where Romo-Rivera and Munoz-Molinar allegedly maintained that the two passengers were their son and daughter. The CBPO also recognized that the photo on the female’s supposed identification document did not match the female, leading her to allegedly disclose that she was not the person depicted on the I.D. and was a citizen of Mexico.
Further investigation revealed that Romo-Rivera was allegedly going to be paid $10,000 to smuggle illegal aliens into the U.S. During a pat-down search of Munoz-Molinar, a CBPO allegedly located a manila envelope containing the actual Mexican birth certificates and Mexican passports belonging to the two illegal aliens. The male passenger was determined to be a minor.
Romo-Rivera and Munoz-Molinar were arrested and charged with one count of bringing in and harboring aliens. If convicted, they each face up to 10 years 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. Attorney Erin Van Pelt is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A 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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San Antonio Heroin Dealer Sentenced in Homeland Security Task Force CaseRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced in federal court to 60 months in prison for trafficking more than 2.5 kilograms of heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. The Drug Enforcement Administration led the Homeland Security Task Force investigation.
According to court documents, from June 28, 2024, to Oct. 15, 2025, Jose Luis Hernandez aka “Chino,” 46, delivered heroin to a buyer three times. Hernandez first delivered 3.4 ounces of heroin as a “sample” to the buyer. Hernandez later delivered 16.4 ounces of heroin and 1.99 kilograms of heroin. Hernandez coordinated smuggling the heroin into the United States from Mexico.
Hernandez was charged in a four-count indictment on Oct. 15, 2025. He pleaded guilty on Feb. 27, 2026, to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin. U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez presided over 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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FBI El Paso, FBI San Antonio Sweep Crime Off Texas Streets Through Operation Spring CleaningRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO — Following the recent Justice Department announcement that revealed the results of Operation Spring Cleaning, U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons announced the local contributions from the two FBI divisions in the Western District of Texas.
Operation Spring Cleaning is a nationwide initiative spearheaded by the FBI to combat gang-related threats and enhance public safety. The operation coordinated with federal, state, and local law enforcement and targeted the illegal flow of firearms and narcotics in our communities. The operation began on March 1 and ended May 31.
In the nationwide total, Operation Spring Cleaning led to over 1,100 arrests, over 600 charges filed, and almost 600 search warrants conducted. The operation also resulted in the seizure of nearly 1,000 illegal firearms—dozens of which were equipped with machinegun conversion devices (MCDs)—and more than 2,700 pounds of illegal narcotics.
“I applaud our FBI partners across the El Paso and San Antonio divisions, who have led this initiative with the assistance of state and local law enforcement to crack down on the violent crime that infiltrates our communities, ” said U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons. “It’s operations like this that reinforce the freedom and liberty we have as Americans.”
“During Operation Spring Cleaning, FBI El Paso and our Midland Resident Agency worked alongside our state, local, and federal partners to surge more resources to address threats posed by local gangs towards our neighborhoods,” said Jarod Brown, Special Agent in Charge, FBI El Paso Field Office. “Our gang personnel shared intelligence and participated in operations to dismantle the gang’s ability to inflict violent crime on our community. The FBI's priority is to defend our communities by leveraging our resources to help our partners.”
“Through Operation Spring Cleaning, the FBI San Antonio Safe Streets Task Force, including the San Antonio Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Texas Department of Public Safety, took coordinated, sustained action against violent criminal enterprises and the networks that enabled their illicit activities,” said Daniel Faith, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Antonio Field Office. “During one day of this operation, law enforcement seized 24 firearms from a criminal enterprise known to operate in high-traffic commercial areas throughout San Antonio. These efforts demonstrated our joint commitment to dismantling violent criminal organizations and preventing acts of violence in the communities we serve.”
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Eagle Pass Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – An Eagle Pass man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 30 years in prison for production of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, on April 17, 2025, Eagle Pass Police Department (EPPD) responded to an incident involving a recording device found in a store dressing room. EPPD identified Reginaldo Gonzalez Jr., 21, as the perpetrator. Gonzalez admitted to placing the recording device in the dressing room to record women while they were undressed. Additionally, Gonzalez admitted that he had child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on his cell phone.
EPPD contacted Homeland Security Investigations agents the following day. HSI conducted a records check on the National Center for Missing Children (NCMEC) and the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) database for the phone number belonging to Gonzalez. Results revealed that there were three CyberTipline reports associated with the phone number.
Over the course of the investigation, HSI agents learned that Gonzalez was employed as a pharmacy tech at the store where the recording device was found, and that after his shift on April 17, he went to the fitting room, found a hole in the ceiling, and recorded people changing in the fitting room. He further explained that he recorded additional family members secretly in the bathroom using his cell phone, specifically, a prepubescent minor family member. One video found on Gonzalez’s phone, depicting the nude minor victim, is 24 minutes and 37 seconds long and was saved in a file on Dec. 26, 2024.
During the investigation, HSI discovered numerous photos and videos of child pornography saved on the Defendant’s device, including an image that depicted a class roster with student ID’s along with several screenshots of school emails. There was a folder labeled “girls” that contained 31 folders with a total of 197 items, which were categorized and identified to belong to several high school students. The login information for 144 Snapchat accounts belonging to several students was saved into the device. Defendant also admitted to having hacked accounts belonging to the students to access their personal photographs and then attempted to anonymously extort them to create CSAM.
Gonzalez was arrested on April 19, 2025, and has remained in federal custody since. On May 14, 2025, he was indicted on one count of production of child pornography, to which he pleaded guilty on Sept. 29, 2025. U.S. District Judge Ernest Gonzalez presided over the case.
HSI investigated the case with assistance from EPPD.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nallely Duarte 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 Justice.gov/PSC.
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Mexican Man Gets 16 Years in Federal Prison for Aggravated Smuggling Conspiracy Investigated by Homeland Security Task ForceRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A Mexican national with legal permanent resident status was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 195 months in prison for conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens causing serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, Armando Garcia-Martinez aka “Leche” aka “El Compadre” aka “Mando,” 43, was a recruiter for the alien smuggling organization that transported a family of illegal aliens from San Antonio to Austin in August 2023. In that event, the family, consisting of a man, a pregnant woman, and their seven-year-old child, were taken hostage by the ASO. Defendants sexually assaulted the pregnant woman, threatened to kill the woman’s seven-year-old boy if payments were not made, and they also threatened to sell the woman’s unborn baby if they did not get the money they sought. On July 9, 2023, a relative paid at least $1,000 to the ASO due to the threats made toward the family. Still, the ASO continued to demand payment to different accounts as a condition for the release of the aliens.
Beyond his involvement in this particular smuggling event, Garcia-Martinez’s role in the ASO was to get the illegal aliens to drivers in Eagle Pass who would smuggle the aliens to San Antonio or Austin. On average, Garcia coordinated two to three trips per week for codefendants Juan Antonio Flores and Pedro Ruiz Gonzalez. Generally, Garcia-Martinez picked up the illegal aliens belonging to codefendant Anthony Ballones Jr. near the train tracks in Eagle Pass and took them to codefendants Ambar Obregon and Tomas Estrada-Torres.
Garcia-Martinez was indicted on April 24, 2024, and arrested May 31. He pleaded guilty on Nov. 18, 2024.
On Feb. 11, co-defendant Flores was sentenced to 212 months for his role in the case. Co-defendants Edwin Alfredo Barrientos-Mateo and Nelson Abilio Castro-Zelaya were sentenced to 360 months and 180 months in federal prison, respectively. Estrada-Torres was sentenced to 151 months, and Rodolfo Daniel De Hoyos was sentenced to 170 months. Gonzalez, Obregon and Ballones have pleaded guilty and are pending sentencing. Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses presides over the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney 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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Homeland Security Task Force Case Results in 30-Year Federal Prison Sentence for Oklahoma Drug TraffickerRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – An Oklahoma man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 360 months in prison for trafficking cocaine from Mexico into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons. The Homeland Security Task Force investigation was led by ICE Homeland Security Investigations.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Jordy Alexander Amaya, 28, approached the Eagle Pass Port of Entry on Sept. 16, 2024. During an inspection of his vehicle, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered approximately 1.9 kilograms of cocaine. Testimony during the trial revealed Amaya had ties to a Texas-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributes methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. Records also indicate that Amaya previously crossed into the U.S. in a known DTO vehicle in 2022 and 2023.
Amaya was indicted in October 2024 on one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of conspiracy to import cocaine, and one count of importation of cocaine. He was convicted of all four counts after a jury trial concluded on August 27, 2025.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Warsame Galaydh and William Golden 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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Federal Prosecutors Add Nearly 300 New Immigration Cases in Western District of TexasRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 297 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from May 29 to June 4, 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 unlawful carrying of weapons, thefts, sex crimes, and multiple prior removals.
In Austin, illegal alien Hilario Benitez-Mondragon was charged with illegal re-entry after being found in the Travis County Jail. According to publicly available Travis County court records, in May, he was convicted of second-degree felony sexual assault and sentenced to 10 years deferred adjudication in Travis County’s 299th District Court. He was previously removed from the U.S. to Mexico in 2014.
Of the nearly 300 new cases, 172 were filed in Del Rio, including an illegal re-entry charge against Neptaly Reyes-Reyes, an illegal alien from Honduras. U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehended Reyes-Reyes near Eagle Pass and discovered that he has been previously deported three times, the last being on March 14, 2025, through Louisiana. Reyes-Reyes is a convicted felon with a criminal record that includes multiple petit theft convictions, third degree grand theft, illegal re-entry, and cocaine possession.
Miyagui Maclen Aleman Herrera, also an illegal alien from Honduras, was arrested near Eagle Pass on May 30 after being deported for the third time on Feb. 25. Aleman Herrera was previously convicted of indecency with a child by exposure and sentenced in Harris County to two years in prison.
An illegal alien from Nicaragua was also arrested by USBP agents near Eagle Pass. Jimmy Jose Mena-Aleman has been convicted of multiple felonies in Miami, Florida, including carrying a concealed weapon robbery, burglary of a motor vehicle/grand theft, and aggravated battery. He was deported for the second time on Sept. 5, 2024.
In San Antonio, Adolfo Lopez-Alcaraz aka Adolfo Lopez was encountered at the Bexar County Adult Detention Center following his arrest for unlawful carrying of a weapon. Lopez was convicted on May 29 and subsequently transferred to ICE custody on June 1. Lopez now faces a federal charge of illegal re-entry. He was previously removed from the U.S. in November 2019.
Illegal alien from Mexico, Jorge Jesus Cuellar-Ortiz, was charged in El Paso with fraud and misuse of visas, permits and other documents after he allegedly presented a Texas driver’s license bearing the personal information and photo of another person at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry. A criminal complaint alleges Cuellar-Ortiz told the U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer that he was an El Paso-born U.S. citizen who was traveling to work construction after visiting family in Mexico. According to the complaint, further inspection resulted in Cuellar-Ortiz admitting his true identity as a Mexican national. The complaint also alleges he had previously lived illegally in the U.S. for 21 years. Cuellar-Ortiz’s criminal record contains two DWI convictions.
Florentino Soto-Esquivel aka Florentino Escobar, an illegal alien from Mexico, was charged with illegal re-entry in Austin. Soto-Esquivel has been removed from the U.S. only one time, but has been previously convicted of assault and four DWIs.
In Austin, illegal alien Hilario Benitez-Mondragon was charged with illegal re-entry after being found in the Travis County Jail. According to publicly available Travis County court records, in May 2026, he was convicted of second-degree felony sexual assault and sentenced to 10 years deferred adjudication in Travis County’s 299th District Court. He was previously removed from the U.S. in 2014.
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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New Mexico Man Gets Life in Federal Prison for 2023 Carjacking MurderRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – A New Mexico man was sentenced in a federal court in El Paso to life in prison for the carjacking, kidnapping and murder of a Las Cruces man, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in December 2023, Brayden Matthew Alvarado, 23, of Vado, New Mexico, carjacked a man before driving him onto Fort Bliss desert property and fatally shooting him in the head with a 12-gauge shotgun.
On Dec. 13, 2023, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division conducted a crime scene investigation and collected the body of a deceased individual. Two days later, an autopsy identified the individual as Abel Patrick Tarin, who had previously been reported missing by the Las Cruces Police Department and Dona Ana Sheriff’s Office.
Tarin’s vehicle was subsequently located, having been towed and impounded in El Paso. A search of the vehicle resulted in blood evidence and the discovery of a gunshot hole on the interior, as well as several fingerprints belonging to Alvarado. Further investigation led to Alvarado’s arrest on Dec. 22, 2023.
Alvarado was indicted on Jan. 17, 2024. On Aug. 14, 2025, a federal jury found him guilty of kidnapping resulting in death and carjacking resulting in death. The kidnapping conviction carries a mandatory life in prison penalty.
The FBI, Army CID, El Paso Police Department, and Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mallory Rasmussen, Lori Hughes and Patricia Acosta prosecuted the case.
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First of 4 Defendants Sentenced to 32 Years in Federal Prison for Role in San Antonio Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced in federal court today to 386 months in prison for his role in an armed robbery, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, beginning on or about Dec. 15, 2020, Brian Gonzales, 31, exchanged text messages with co-defendant London Morgan using coded language to coordinate several armed robberies in the San Antonio area. On Dec. 17, 2020, Morgan traveled from Dallas to the San Antonio area and robbed a store clerk at gunpoint with Gonzales’s cousin, Kevin Gonzales. The next morning, Morgan dropped off Kevin Gonzales and another individual at a San Antonio gas station, where they committed a second armed robbery. They followed that with a third armed robbery at a pawn shop later that morning.
Beginning on Dec. 27, 2020, Morgan corresponded with Gonzales and another conspirator, Christopher Harrell, to plan several additional armed robberies in the area. Morgan, Harrell, and Kevin Gonzales then committed armed robberies on three pawn shops on Dec. 28 and 29, 2020.
Morgan and Harrell were named in a 13-count indictment in August 2022. Brian and Kevin Gonzales were both named in a 13-count superseding indictment on Oct. 4, 2023. Brian Gonzales pleaded guilty on Sept. 11, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and four counts of aiding and abetting brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. U.S. District Judge Jason Pulliam sentenced Gonzales to 50 months for count one—to run concurrent to his current state imprisonment—and 84 months for each of the other four counts.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the San Antonio Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Yuen prosecuted the case.
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Cuban Man Pleads Guilty to Labor TraffickingRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – An illegal alien from Cuba pleaded guilty in federal court today to labor trafficking after he helped smuggle three Cuban women into the U.S. and forced them to work in strip clubs across the country, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, Yoirlan Tome-Rojas, 46, helped bring three adult females from Cuba to the U.S. by paying for their flights, drivers, hotels, and the coyotes who smuggled them across the U.S.-Mexico border. Tome-Rojas charged the women a travel debt up to $50,000 each and forced them to work in strip clubs seven days a week. Throughout the months the women were in his custody, he transported them to Indiana, Detroit, Michigan, and San Antonio for them to work in various clubs.
Tome-Rojas required the women to provide him with all of their earnings and prohibited them from leaving or ending their work until their respective travel debts were paid off. He continually added the cost of food, clothes, shelter, transportation, and more to the women’s travel debts.
Two of the women were with Tome-Rojas for approximately three months and, according to Tome-Rojas only paid approximately $1,000 toward their debt. Throughout their victimization, the women feared for their own safety and for the safety of their families in Cuba.
Tome-Rojas pleaded guilty to three counts of labor trafficking. Each count holds a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
ICE Homeland Security Investigations and the San Antonio Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia McNab and Karina O’Daniel are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas Closes Out May with 350 New Immigration CasesRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 350 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from May 22 to May 28, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. Charges were brought against human smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for numerous DWIs, violent crimes, burglary, patronizing prostitution, and multiple prior removals.
Among the new cases, 172 were filed in Del Rio, where Jeremias Perez-Ramirez, an illegal alien from El Salvador, was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents and charged with illegal re-entry. Perez-Ramirez was recently deported for the fourth time in February. A felon, his criminal record contains three DWI convictions, two convictions for driving with a suspended or invalid license, and unlawful restraint.
USBP agents also arrested convicted felon and illegal alien from Mexico, Martin Roman-Barrera. Roman-Barrera was last deported in 2014, after he was convicted of aggravated battery in a public place and sentenced to three years of confinement. Prior to that, he was convicted of two DUI misdemeanors and driving on a suspended or revoked license.
In El Paso, federal prosecutors filed 152 new immigration cases, including an illegal re-entry charge against Ecuadorian national Luis Oswaldo Zhagui-Zhagui. Zhagui-Zhagui was removed from the U.S. for the third time in September 2025. In November 2021, his license was revoked after being convicted of his second DWI.
A Midland-Odessa man was arrested near Fort Hancock and charged with alien smuggling. USBP agents pulled over a blue Mazda CX-5 on Interstate-10 Westbound at mile marker 78. A criminal complaint alleges that the vehicle was driven by Eduardo Zepeda, who was transporting five illegal aliens. Zepeda had allegedly received a call at home from a friend in Mexico, recruiting him to pick up the illegal aliens and transport them to a hotel in El Paso for $500 per person.
In San Antonio, Mexican national Gaspar Rodriguez-Garcia was transferred into ICE custody from the Bexar County Adult Detention Center, where he had been serving a three-year sentence for his third DWI conviction. Rodriguez-Garcia has twice been convicted of illegal re-entry. He now faces an illegal re-entry charge for the third time.
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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Deadly Drug Trafficking Case in Del Rio Leads to Arrests of 2 CaliforniansRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – Two Californians made their initial appearances in Del Rio for a number of drug-related charges including conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone and Xanax resulting in death, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to an indictment filed April 22, Bertha Alisia Romo, 30, of Colton, and Rhemi Raymond Hernandez, 25, of Fontana, possessed and distributed at least 50 grams of Dihydrohydroxycodeinone, also known as oxycodone, and at least one kilogram of Alprazolam, otherwise known as Xanax, both of which resulted in the death of a purchaser. The indictment alleges that the conspiracy began in February 2023 and continued through the date of indictment.
Also during the timeframe outlined in the indictment, Romo and Hernandez allegedly conspired to possess and distribute 500 grams or more of a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. They were arrested in California on April 30 and first appeared before a magistrate judge in the Central District of California before being transferred to the Western District of Texas.
Romo and Hernandez are both charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone resulting in death; conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute Xanax resulting in death; conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. If convicted, Romo and Hernandez 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.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Warsame Galaydh 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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Towing Company Owner Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Bribe Bexar County SheriffRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man pleaded guilty in federal court today to conspiring to bribe the Bexar County Sheriff in an attempt to obtain a Bexar County towing contract, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, Muhammad Choudary, 78, owned and had operational control over a vehicle towing and heavy-duty recovery business which operated within Bexar County. On or about March 28, 2025, Bexar County solicited bids for towing and wrecking services for the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office and Bexar County Constable Offices. Choudary used an associate, co-conspirator Anwar Tahir, as a middleman.
During an April 16, 2025 lunch meeting set up by Tahir, Choudary and Tahir told the Bexar County Sheriff that they would pay the Sheriff $30,000 to use his position to award the Bexar County towing contract to Choudary’s company. The following day, the Bexar County Sheriff reported the bribery attempt to FBI.
The FBI then introduced an intermediary posing as a representative of the Sheriff. At an ensuing lunch meeting, Tahir, on behalf of Choudary, offered to pay the Bexar County Sheriff, through the representative, $10,000 upfront plus a payment of $25,000 a year for the life of the contract, in exchange for the Sheriff’s assistance in awarding the towing contract to Choudary’s company.
Choudary pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery and faces up to five years in federal prison. Tahir pleaded guilty to the same conspiracy charge on March 31. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI and IRS-CI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Blackwell is prosecuting the case.
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San Antonio Tow Company to Pay $280,000 for Illegally Auctioning Servicemember-Owned VehiclesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department today announced that San Antonio-based tow company Vehicle Management Solutions, Inc. (VMS) will pay $280,000 to resolve allegations that the company illegally sold or scrapped approximately 93 vehicles owned by U.S. servicemembers in violation of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA).
“When members of our Armed Forces are called to fight for our country, they should not have to return home to find that their car has been illegally sold. Towing companies must comply with federal laws that protect servicemembers or face serious consequences,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice stands with our men and women in uniform and will vigorously defend their rights under the law.”
“The Western District of Texas is proud to be home to countless military members and their families, as well as many veterans of our Armed Forces. Deploying is hard enough. Worrying about the safety and security of one’s personal property while deployed is a concern no member of our military should carry,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “In the Western District of Texas, we will always fight for those that fight for us, both while they are home and while serving our country overseas. This case is an example of our resolve and commitment to that mission.”
The Department alleges that VMS engaged in a pattern or practice of auctioning or otherwise disposing of vehicles owned by SCRA-protected servicemembers without obtaining the required court orders. The Department began investigating VMS after receiving a complaint from a servicemember whose vehicle was towed and auctioned by VMS in 2024 while he was serving on an overseas deployment in Kosovo.
The SCRA is a federal law that provides a variety of financial and housing protections to members of the U.S. military. The law prohibits a towing company from selling a vehicle owned by an SCRA-protected servicemember unless the company first obtains a court order authorizing the sale.
Under the settlement, VMS will pay $220,000 in compensation to the affected servicemembers. VMS will also pay a $60,000 civil penalty to the U.S. Treasury and will be required to make policy and training changes to avoid committing future violations.
The Department’s enforcement of the SCRA is conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Since 2011, the Department has obtained over $489 million in monetary relief for over 152,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. For more information about the Department’s SCRA enforcement efforts, please visit www.servicemembers.gov.
Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their rights under the SCRA may have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations can be found at legalassistance.law.af.mil.
Note: Read the settlement here.
San Antonio Tow Company to Pay $280,000 for Illegally Auctioning Servicemember-Owned VehiclesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that San Antonio-based tow company Vehicle Management Solutions Inc. (VMS) will pay $280,000 to resolve allegations that the company illegally sold or scrapped approximately 93 vehicles owned by U.S. servicemembers in violation of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA).
“When members of our Armed Forces are called to fight for our country, they should not have to return home to find that their car has been illegally sold. Towing companies must comply with federal laws that protect servicemembers or face serious consequences,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice stands with our men and women in uniform and will vigorously defend their rights under the law.”
“The Western District of Texas is proud to be home to countless military members and their families, as well as many veterans of our Armed Forces. Deploying is hard enough. Worrying about the safety and security of one’s personal property while deployed is a concern no member of our military should carry,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “In the Western District of Texas, we will always fight for those that fight for us, both while they are home and while serving our country overseas. This case is an example of our resolve and commitment to that mission.”
The Department alleges that VMS engaged in a pattern or practice of auctioning or otherwise disposing of vehicles owned by SCRA-protected servicemembers without obtaining the required court orders. The Department began investigating VMS after receiving a complaint from a servicemember whose vehicle was towed and auctioned by VMS in 2024 while he was serving on an overseas deployment in Kosovo.
The SCRA is a federal law that provides a variety of financial and housing protections to members of the U.S. military. The law prohibits a towing company from selling a vehicle owned by an SCRA-protected servicemember unless the company first obtains a court order authorizing the sale.
Under the settlement, VMS will pay $220,000 in compensation to the affected servicemembers. VMS will also pay a $60,000 civil penalty to the U.S. Treasury and will be required to make policy and training changes to avoid committing future violations.
The Department’s enforcement of the SCRA is conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Since 2011, the Department has obtained over $489 million in monetary relief for over 152,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. For more information about the Department’s SCRA enforcement efforts, please visit www.servicemembers.gov.
Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their rights under the SCRA may have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations can be found at legalassistance.law.af.mil.
Note: Read the settlement here.
Grand Prairie Man Gets 20 Years in Federal Prison for Alien Smuggling Conspiracy Investigated by Homeland Security Task ForceRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A Grand Prairie man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 240 months in prison for his involvement in a failed human smuggling event, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, Van Donovan Brown aka “Sledge,” 31, was actively recruiting load drivers, particularly on Facebook, for an alien smuggling organization while living abroad in Colombia and facilitated an April 2023 smuggling attempt through a WhatsApp group chat. Records also indicated that Brown submitted multiple CashApp payments to co-conspirator John Klotz aka “Remy.”
Brown was indicted on Oct. 2, 2024, with co-defendant Cameron Alexander Ford. Ford was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison on March 4, and Klotz, who was sentenced to 72 months on May 1. A fourth defendant, Jeffrey Ray Jilpas, was arrested Feb. 20, and is currently awaiting hearings set for next month. U.S. District Judge Ernest Gonzalez presides over the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Ellis-Dotson 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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Sureno Gang Member Found Guilty of Possessing Child Pornography and Failure to AppearRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A federal jury in Del Rio convicted a Sureno gang member this week for possession of child pornography and failure to appear, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in February 2020, ICE Homeland Security Investigations received a Cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which revealed that a Google account had uploaded six videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to a Google Drive in January 2020. HSI agents reviewed the videos and confirmed they contained CSAM. The email account and its corresponding phone number belonged to Samuel Sandoval Chavez, 42. A search warrant for the Google account further revealed that Sandoval had searched terms included “cute teenage Latino boys” and “teen boyfriend.”
HSI found additional videos of child pornography saved on Sandoval’s account under a folder labeled with the “devil” emoji. HSI executed a search warrant on Sandoval’s home and retrieved a cell phone containing 71 images of child pornography and 82 images of child erotica.
Sandoval was indicted and subsequently arrested in Idaho, where the district judge granted release pending trial and ordered Sandoval to appear in the Western District of Texas for initial appearance, a hearing at which Sandoval failed to appear. Sandoval had instead fled to Mexico and was later apprehended at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry in April 2025.
At trial, defense attorneys argued that Sandoval did not knowingly possess the material because it came from a WhatsApp group chat and automatically downloaded to his phone. The evidence, however, showed that the material was not merely passively downloaded. A forensic review of Sandoval’s phone revealed cached data showing that he personally opened the images and videos. Given the strength of the government’s case, the jury returned a swift 30-minute guilty verdict.
ICE HSI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nallely Duarte and Amy Greenbaum are prosecuting 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 Justice.gov/PSC.
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More Than 300 New Federal Immigration Cases Filed in Western District of TexasRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 319 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from May 15 to May 21, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. Charges were brought against human smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for numerous DUIs, violent crimes, burglary and multiple prior removals.
Among the new cases, 110 were filed in El Paso, where convicted felon Martha Lopez, of Socorro, was charged with alien smuggling. A criminal complaint alleges Lopez had arranged to pick up a group of four illegal aliens in the early morning hours of May 19 near the intersection of Angus Drive and Carablanca Drive. She allegedly fled at a high rate of speed as law enforcement vehicles responded. A U.S. Border Patrol agent conducted a traffic stop and Lopez was placed under arrest. Later that morning, USBP agents allegedly located two illegal aliens at Lopez’s residence, which had previously been identified as a possible stash house. In 2005, Lopez was convicted for voluntary manslaughter and child cruelty.
Yvette Yarelli Vasquez also faces human smuggling charges. Vasquez is the girlfriend of previously convicted alien smuggler Yovani Garcia-Cruz. A criminal complaint alleges Vasquez was aware of Garcia-Cruz’s most recent alleged involvement in alien smuggling and the money he was receiving. The complaint also alleges agents discovered proof of life videos and messages sent to Vasquez by Garcia-Cruz. Further investigation allegedly revealed a proof of life video depicting a female child saying she was in El Paso. Another video of the child allegedly shows the tattooed hand of Vasquez providing food for harbored children.
Convicted felon and illegal alien from Mexico Osiel Alfonso Marroquin-Morales was found nearly five miles west of the Fort Hancock Port of Entry. He’s been removed from the U.S. to Mexico twice, the last being on July 9, 2025. In 2014, Marroquin-Morales was convicted of a DUI, operating a motor vehicle without a license, and obstructing an officer in Tampa, Florida, for which he was sentenced to 45 days of confinement. In 2014, he was convicted in Indiana for causing death and serious injury while operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Juan Santiago-Alavez, an illegal alien from Mexico, was found approximately half a mile west of the Tornillo Port of Entry. He was previously deported for the second time on Nov. 11, 2025, and has six DUI convictions in his criminal record, along with convictions for domestic battery, false imprisonment, violating a court order, and vandalism. He now faces a charge for illegal re-entry.
In Del Rio, where 173 of the district’s new immigration cases were filed this week, Mexican national Juan Manuel Escareno-Anguiano was charged with illegal re-entry having been deported for the seventh time on Dec. 18, 2025. Escareno-Anguino’s lengthy criminal history includes three burglary convictions, escape from custody, and two convictions for re-entry after deportation.
Convicted felon and illegal alien from Mexico Luis Baena-Olivares was arrested near Del Rio for illegal re-entry. He was most recently deported for the sixth time on Oct. 15, 2025. Additionally, Baena-Olivares has been granted seven voluntary returns, the last one being in 2002. His criminal record of five felonies contains two illegal re-entry convictions along with convictions of robbery, kidnapping and evading arrest.
Mexican national Juan Pablo Bermudez-Cueto was arrested near Del Rio and charged with illegal re-entry. In December 2020, he was convicted in Kansas of kidnapping and inflicting bodily injury. For those convictions, Bermudez-Cueto was sentenced to 59 months imprisonment and then removed from the U.S. in April 2024.
Fidel Rodriguez-Herrera, an illegal alien from Mexico, was stopped by Texas Department of Public Safety troopers on May 14 for an alleged traffic violation in San Antonio. ICE Enforcement Removal Operations assisted and, according to a criminal complaint, Rodriguez-Herrera was taken into custody without incident. A review of his criminal record revealed an extensive criminal history from 1987 to 2011 and includes DUI, assault causing bodily injury, and failure to identify, along with multiple convictions for illegal re-entry.
In Austin, Marlon Ramirez-Castro, an illegal alien from Honduras, was transferred into ICE custody after being found in the Travis County Jail, where he was jailed for evading arrest. Ramirez-Castro was last removed from the U.S. to Honduras in 2016, after being convicted of bulk cash smuggling. Additionally, Ramirez-Castro has been convicted of DWI, terroristic threat, and two assaults causing bodily injury.
Mexico national Pedro Valadez-Galindo was also found in the Travis County Jail, after being arrested for assault of a pregnant person. He was previously removed from the U.S. to Mexico in 2009 following a conviction for possession of a controlled substance.
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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Troy Men Arrested, Federally Charged in Relation to Robbery Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
WACO, Texas – Two Troy men were arrested on criminal charges related to their alleged Hobbs Act violations, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, Colton Carter, 20, and Donivan Bynum, 18, are alleged to have been involved in an armed robbery that resulted in the death of a Salado man on May 5. A criminal complaint alleges that Carter’s phone, obtained as part of the investigation, contained implicating messages and phone calls that led detectives to believe he had set up the robbery. The complaint further alleges Bynum was with Carter as the look out.
Carter and Bynum were arrested and charged with one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery. If convicted, they each face up to 20 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 is investigating the case with assistance from the Temple Police Department, Milam County Sheriff’s Office, and Belton Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Blanton is prosecuting the case.
A 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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Former U.S. Border Patrol Agent Pleads Guilty to Defrauding TaxpayersRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A former U.S. Border Patrol Agent pleaded guilty in a federal court in Del Rio today to defrauding the U.S. government by spending his official duty hours running a personal business while submitting time cards and collecting bi-weekly government paychecks, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons, in support of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
According to court documents, in addition to being a USBP agent, Ramon Heriberto Cerda Jr., 41, of Eagle Pass, owned and operated a business known as El Eagle Mail. On multiple dates in February and March 2025, Cerda was observed at his residence during scheduled work hours despite his duties requiring him to be in the field.
To further observe Cerda’s activities, the FBI installed two surveillance cameras beginning on April 22, 2025, one providing a view of his home and the other providing a view of the El Eagle Mail business, located approximately 15 to 20 minutes away. Between April 22 and June 28, 2025, surveillance showed Cerda remained at his residence until approximately 2pm on weekdays, before traveling to the El Eagle Mail business where he remained until after 4pm. During the same time period, he submitted bi-weekly timecards reflecting that he worked for the USBP from 6am to 4pm, claiming a total of 399.58 hours of pay between April 22 and June 28, 2025. He received approximately $17,724.74 in pay for those reported hours.
In addition to the surveillance video, the FBI obtained cell site location data for both Cerda’s government issued phone and his personal phone. Analysis of the data also indicated Cerda was located at or near his residence during work hours and showed a lack of activity consistent with traveling to the Eagle Pass USBP station to pick up a government vehicle for his assigned transportation duties. Additional investigative methods also corroborated the surveillance video.
Cerda was indicted in October 2025 for four counts of wire fraud, four counts of false statement or representation made to an agency or department of the United States, and three counts of receiving stolen government money or property. Pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud, he faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Duarte II is 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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U.S. Attorney’s Office Adds 281 New Immigration Cases in Western District of TexasRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 281 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from May 8 to May 14, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. Charges were brought against human smugglers, alleged visa fraudsters, and illegal aliens with past convictions for numerous DWIs, violent crimes, drug trafficking, and multiple prior removals.
Among the new cases, an illegal alien from Mexico residing in Crane, south of Odessa, is charged with fraud and misuse of visas, permits and other documents. Encarnacion Lopez-Sanchez aka Ignacio Hernandez-Gomez has been wanted in Mexico for sexual assault of a minor. Lopez-Sanchez allegedly was admitted into the United States through Del Rio using a border crossing card that limits his entry to within 25 miles of the border. Furthermore, he allegedly obtained an I-94 immigration form with an expiration date of July 9, 2025. An investigation led to the determination that Lopez-Sanchez has been working at an energy company in Crane despite being prohibited from employment. He allegedly submitted to the company a fraudulent Employment Eligibility Verification form and a fraudulent Employee Withholding Certificate. A criminal complaint also alleges Lopez-Sanchez has sent money to sources in Mexico on several occurrences.
In El Paso, a U.S. citizen who was previously convicted at the state level and sentenced to five years in prison for smuggling of persons in 2024, is now federally charged with alien smuggling. Yovani Garcia-Cruz allegedly served as a pick-up driver in a smuggling operation that resulted in the discovery of 14 illegal aliens in a stash house earlier this year. A criminal complaint alleges that Garcia-Cruz sent proof of life videos of illegal aliens to another individual and has smuggled aliens into the United States on at least three occasions.
Erik Rangel-Martinez, an illegal alien from Mexico, was charged with alien smuggling after allegedly attempting to escape back into Mexico with 11 other illegal aliens approximately a mile and a half east of the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry in El Paso. A criminal complaint alleges that Rangel-Martinez was expecting to be paid $100 to help smuggle illegal aliens into the United States using a ladder at the international border fence.
A criminal complaint alleges that, on Monday, Jaime Rodriguez-Corral presented himself to be a United States citizen to Customs and Border Protection in the pedestrian lane at the Bridge of the Americas POE. Rodriguez-Corral allegedly stated he was on his way home to Nebraska and presented a Mexican driver’s license and U.S. Consulate request sheet. The CBP officer, noticing that the documents lacked a proof of citizenship, processed system queries and received an alert. Further investigation revealed Rodriguez-Corral to be a Mexican citizen previously removed from the United States in May 2020. A felon, his criminal record includes convictions for possession of a fraudulent identification card and multiple assaults.
In Guadalupe County, a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper conducted a traffic stop on Santiago Florencio Velazquez-Tobon, who was allegedly driving without a license. According to a criminal complaint affidavit, the trooper requested assistance from San Antonio ICE Enforcement Removal Operations to positively identify a suspected foreign national. The immigration record check showed that Velazquez was an illegal alien from Mexico who had been previously removed in November 2014. A review of Velazquez’s criminal history revealed prior convictions for inflicting corporal injury on a spouse/cohabitant, willful child cruelty with possible injury or death, threatening a witness, assault with a deadly weapon, and unlawfully carrying a concealed weapon. He now faces an illegal re-entry charge in San Antonio.
Erlin Omar Martinez-Carcamo was found in the Hays County Jail on March 23 and identified as an illegal alien from Honduras. ICE lodged a detainer on Martinez-Carcamo, who is now federally charged with illegal re-entry. The Honduran national has been convicted of three DWIs since 2022, along with reckless driving, bail jumping, and failure to identify.
Isaias Garcia-Reynoso, an illegal alien from Mexico who was previously deported in 2023, was found in Williamson County on May 8. In 2017, Garcia-Reynoso was convicted and sentenced to probation for deadly conduct. He was convicted of a DWI in 2022 and now faces an illegal re-entry charge in Austin.
U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Christopher Jesus Carbajal-Lopez, an illegal alien from Honduras and convicted felon, near Maverick. In January 2024, Carbajal-Lopez was convicted in North Carolina for assault with a deadly weapon. He was sentenced to 60 days of confinement before being removed to Honduras on Feb. 14, 2024. He now faces an illegal re-entry charge in Del Rio.
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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South Texas Man Sentenced to 9 Years Imprisonment in Homeland Security Task Force Drug Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A Baytown man was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 108 months in prison for trafficking methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, Terry Lynn Clay, 57, conspired in June 2021 to traffic 992.4 grams of 100% methamphetamine and 526 grams of cocaine. An investigation revealed that Clay purchased the methamphetamine from Timothy Bland in Houston on June 9, 2021. Later that day, Clay gave the narcotics to his associate Tonya Vonci Middleton-Harris for further trafficking. Texas Department of Public Safety arrested Clay and Middleton-Harris shortly after the exchange.
Clay was taken into state custody upon arrest and transferred into federal custody on Feb. 8, 2022. On Oct. 29, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
Clay is the last of 10 defendants to be sentenced in this case, presided over by U.S. District Judge Jason K. Pulliam. Middleton-Harris was sentenced to 24 months in prison on March 4. Bland is now serving a 235-month sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Spears prosecuted the case.
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal 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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Serial Fraudster Sentenced for Embezzling from Multiple Employers in San AntonioRead the Press Release
Image Credit: U.S. v. Vasquez Case #5:24cr246SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio woman was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, Daniella Vasquez, 48, worked as a comptroller for two separate companies between May 2021 and September 2022, where her responsibilities included issuing payments. During her tenure with both employers, Vasquez embezzled $759,235.74, issuing unauthorized payments to herself and her husband, Thomas Vasquez, as well as to companies for personal expenses. She spent much of the embezzled funds on luxury goods, vehicles, concerts, and sporting events, which she flaunted on social media.
Vasquez was arrested on Oct. 25, 2022, by the Shavano Park Police Department on state charges related to her embezzlement from one company. On July 20, 2023, she was interviewed by the FBI at a new place of employment regarding her embezzlement from the other company.
Vazquez was federally indicted on four counts of wire fraud on May 15, 2024. She pleaded guilty to one count on Aug. 5, 2025. U.S. District Judge Fred Biery presided over the case.
Image Credit: U.S. v. Vasquez Case #5:24cr246“Vasquez abused her employers' trust to live the high life, spending thousands of dollars to attend pop concerts and NFL games while wearing expensive luxury items and even rewarding herself with a $1,500 upscale spa experience,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “These greedy criminal schemes are tremendously harmful to the small businesses that are the lifeblood of our community. This sentence demonstrates our office’s commitment to holding fraudsters accountable and sends a message about the consequences they will face when we catch them.”
Image Credit: U.S. v. Vasquez Case #5:24cr246“The FBI worked closely with the Shavano Park Police Department to hold Vasquez accountable as she abused a position of trust by misusing corporate funds for self-enrichment and greed,” said Alex Doran, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Antonio Field Office. “She used stolen funds to support a lavish lifestyle while flaunting the proceeds of her fraud on social media. The FBI has zero tolerance for fraud and the abuse of trust for personal gain. These crimes cause significant financial harm to businesses and erode public trust.”
The FBI and Shavano Park Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Yuen prosecuted the case.
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Mexican National Sentenced for Role in Cross-Border Tunnel SmugglingRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – As a result of diligent work done by members of the Homeland Security Task Force, a Mexican national with Legal Permanent Resident status was sentenced in a federal court in El Paso to 42 months in prison for facilitating alien smuggling operations using cross-border tunnels and storm drains, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, Ricardo Guadalupe Dominguez, 54, of Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, along with other members of an alien smuggling organization, used a subterranean passage and the connecting storm drain tunnels to bring aliens into the U.S. from Mexico. Dominguez facilitated the human smuggling events by providing vehicles and tools used to tamper and cause damage to the existing storm drains. Dominguez was also identified as being involved with the construction of a man-made cross-border tunnel that was discovered on Jan. 10, 2025.
Dominguez was arrested while attempting to cross into the U.S. from Mexico via the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry. He pleaded guilty on Dec. 17, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to bring in aliens.
Co-defendant Oscar Ivan Carrillo was sentenced in January to 33 months in federal prison for conspiracy to use a border tunnel. Carrillo and others would guide aliens through the tunnels and into the U.S. At the tunnel exit, a box truck modified with a trap door was driven over a manhole cover; the trap door was then opened, allowing the aliens to climb up out of the tunnel and into the box truck without being detected.
ICE Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mathew Engelbaum prosecuted the case.
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal 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.
This case is the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with DHS, has been elevated and expanded with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, District of Arizona, District of New Mexico, and Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; Office of Enforcement Operations; and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 355 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 300 U.S. convictions; more than 250 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
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Puerto Rican Man Sentenced in Waco for Role in Fentanyl Death of Army SpouseRead the Press Release
WACO, Texas – A Puerto Rican man was sentenced in a federal court in Waco today to 188 months in prison for his role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy to possess that resulted in the death of a U.S. Army spouse, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, Gilberto Joel Hernandez-Marin, 31, of Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, led a Puerto Rico-based drug trafficking organization with co-conspirator Adxel Romero-Flores, 34, of Bayamon, Puerto Rico. The DTO was found to be directly responsible for the distribution of fentanyl that resulted in the death of a dependent spouse of an active-duty U.S. Army soldier along with the distribution of thousands of fentanyl pills throughout the Western District of Texas.
During the investigation, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division intercepted approximately 8,100 deadly fentanyl pills from the DTO that were destined for central Texas.
“Hernandez-Marin and his co-conspirators in this Puerto Rican DTO knowingly and recklessly trafficked thousands upon thousands of deadly fentanyl pills into our communities, ultimately killing a U.S. military spouse,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “Thanks to the investigative actions of our partners at Army CID, we were able to put a stop to this group’s deadly fentanyl trafficking and hold them accountable.”
Hernandez-Marin, Romero-Flores, and codefendants Julio Samuel Bonilla-Tirado, 44, of Copperas Cove, Juan Carlos Cabral, 34, of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, each pleaded guilty and were sentenced at various stages throughout the case. U.S. District Judge Alan Albright sentenced Bonilla-Tirado to 14 years in prison on July 9, 2025. Romero-Flores was sentenced to 15 years and eight months in prison on Dec. 2, 2025; and Cabral was sentenced to 20 years in prison on March 31.
“These sentencings are the result of outstanding teamwork and dedication from our Special Agents and our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners,” said Special Agent in Charge Lane Allen, Army CID Central Texas Field Office. “This case underscores our commitment to combatting threats of illegal drugs affecting the Army community, regardless of their origins.”
Army CID investigated the case with valuable assistance provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration; ICE Homeland Security Investigations; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation; the Killeen Police Department; the Copperas Cove Police Department; and the Puerto Rico Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Blanton prosecuted the cases.
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Mexican National Sentenced to Prison in Vast Alien Smuggling ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Mexican national was sentenced yesterday to 41 months in prison for her involvement in a massive international alien smuggling organization.
“We take seriously organized human smugglers who seek to undermine the integrity and security of our borders and our immigration laws for their ill-gotten gains,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Even criminal smugglers who live outside of our nation’s borders will face the justice of our courts when they violate our laws designed to keep our borders safe and secure.”
“Alien Smuggling Organizations do not care about your hopes and dreams; they care only about your money,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “This sentencing represents a major blow to a complex criminal organization that has been successfully dismantled thanks to the work of our AUSAs and law enforcement partners. My office is incredibly proud to work alongside Homeland Security Investigations and other Department of Homeland Security components to continue picking apart these alien smuggling organizations and hitting them where it hurts: in the pocketbook.”
According to court documents, from on or about Nov. 13, 2020, and continuing to March 7, 2023, Monica Hernandez-Palma, 34, and others, were part of an international alien smuggling organization (ASO) that illegally brought thousands of aliens from Afghanistan, Yemen, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Columbia, Guatemala, Honduras, and Ecuador into the United States from Mexico. The ASO operated stash houses in Monterrey, Mexico, and Piedras Negras, Mexico. Hernandez-Palma operated the stash house in Piedras Negras and coordinated with other members of the ASO to transport aliens to the stash house and then into the U.S. illegally. Hernandez-Palma worked with others to house aliens, after which the aliens would meet foot guides who led them across the U.S.-Mexico border by crossing the Rio Grande River.
Hernandez-Palma worked with co-conspirator and San Antonio, Texas-based smuggler, Enil Edil Mejia-Zuniga, who facilitated travel of the aliens from South America to the United States. Mejia-Zuniga directed operations, as well as paid armed “coyotes,” load drivers, and stash house operators. To facilitate their operation, the ASO operated stash houses in Monterrey, Mexico, and Piedras Negras, Mexico. 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 that the organization charged between $6,500 to $12,000 per alien, totaling approximately $16 to $30 million in financial gain for the ASO.
Enil Edil Mejia-Zuniga was sentenced to ten years in prison on July 9, 2025.
Hernandez-Palma pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bring an alien to the United States and aiding and abetting bringing an alien to the United States for financial gain.
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 National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, and U.S. Border Patrol. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Hernandez-Palma.
Trial Attorney Bethany Allen of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions section, on detail from the Office of International Affairs, 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 United States 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 USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 455 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 400 U.S. convictions; and more than 350 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
New Braunfels Woman Indicted for Attempted Arson of Comal County Republican HeadquartersRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A federal grand jury in San Antonio returned an indictment this week charging a New Braunfels woman with actual and attempted malicious damage by fire to property involved in interstate or foreign commerce, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, on Jan. 14, Grace Carol Brown, 22, attempted to set fire to a New Braunfels building that houses the Comal County Republican Party Headquarters and two other commercial businesses. An indictment alleges Brown broke a window of the building and threw a backpack inside. She was then allegedly unsuccessful in her attempt to climb into the building through the broken window and decided to light a rolled magazine on fire and through it inside the building.
Image Credit: U.S. v. Brown Case #5:26cr210Brown allegedly left a note at the scene. The backpack found inside the building allegedly contained, among other items, one container of ethanol, two containers of gasoline, a lighter and matches. An investigation determined that Brown displayed antipathy through writings and actions, toward the goals and activities of the Comal County Republican Party Headquarters, law enforcement elements of the United States government to include ICE, and certain Executive Branch officials whom she allegedly referred to as “Enemies of the U.S. Constitution.”
Brown was arrested on Jan. 22 and charged in Comal County with burglary of a building and arson. She now faces federal charges as well and, if convicted, faces five 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.
The FBI is investigating the case with assistance from the New Braunfels Police Department and New Braunfels Fire Marshal’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Mangels 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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First Week of May Brings 215 New Federal Immigration Cases to Western District of Texas, Including El Paso Stash House BustRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 215 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from May 1 to May 7, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. Charges were brought against human smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for numerous DWIs, violent crime, drug trafficking, theft, and multiple prior removals.
Among the new cases, U.S. citizen Bryan Fernando Guillen was charged with alien smuggling after U.S. Border Patrol agents allegedly observed him dropping off an illegal alien at a stash house in El Paso. A criminal complaint alleges that, on May 4, Guillen was the driver of a Mercedez-Benz that had been under investigation and seen in a TikTok video that was also under investigation for posting content associated with alien smuggling. USBP agents pursued the Mercedes, which allegedly failed to yield to their emergency lights, and continued driving recklessly at a high rate of speed. The complaint alleges that the vehicle was found abandoned at the Ysleta Port of Entry, and that Guillen and a passenger were ultimately arrested as they attempted to run into Mexico through the POE’s southbound vehicle lanes. Agents determined the passenger was not involved in alien smuggling and was released from custody. Guillen, however, allegedly was aware of 12 illegal aliens located at the stash house and had been working with co-conspirators for approximately seven months in several capacities related to human smuggling and harboring illegal aliens.
The May 4 stash house operation in El Paso also resulted in the arrests of Bryan Adrian Flores-Martinez and Hector Emigdio Navarro-Olivas. A criminal complaint alleges that USBP agents observed a red pickup truck traveling from the residence on West Paisano drive to an area near Asarco, where fresh, wet, muddy footprints from six individuals were also found. The complaint alleges that the truck returned to the residence and dropped off six illegal aliens before departing again. Shortly after, Flores-Martinez and Navarro-Olivas allegedly arrived back at the stash house and were seen carrying grocery bags into the residence before departing again. The following day, according to the complaint, Flores-Martinez and Navarro-Olivas were arrested when they sought admission into the U.S. at the Paso Del Norte POE.
On May 2, Salvadoran national David Antonio Lazo-Alvarenga was allegedly found in a field approximately six miles east of the Tornillo POE. A felon, Lazo-Alvarenga has been convicted of three DWIs and was deported for the fourth time on June 23, 2025.
Alexi Evaristo Turcios-Nunez, an illegal alien from Honduras, faces an illegal re-entry charge in Del Rio. Turcios-Nunez was convicted of aggravated sexual assault in June 2019. He’s been previously removed from the U.S. twice, the last being May 21, 2025.
Mexican national Jose Alexis Alarcon-De La O was arrested by USBP agents on May 3 near Maverick, having been removed from the U.S. in March for the second time. In 2017, he was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Prior to that felony conviction, he was twice convicted for theft of property and once for sale of stolen property.
Hugo Gonzalez-Santa Cruz, also an illegal alien from Mexico, was charged with illegal re-entry after being found in the Travis County Jail following an arrest for assault causing bodily injury. He’s been removed from the U.S. twice, the last being in 2017, and has two DWI convictions.
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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Federal Jury Convicts Cuban National for Ramming ICE Vehicles in San AntonioRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A federal jury convicted a Cuban national today on two counts of destruction of government property, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on Jan. 13, Robyn Argote-Brooks, 25, of Havana, Cuba, used his vehicle to damage an SUV and a sedan, both of which were property of the United States and maintained by ICE. The amount of damage to each vehicle exceeded $1,000.
Argote-Brooks was arrested and charged via complaint with one count of destruction of government property. An indictment filed Feb. 4 added a second destruction of government property count as well as a charge of forcibly assaulting a federal officer. U.S. District Judge Fred Biery presided over the three-day jury trial.
ICE Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with assistance from ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Walker and Todd Keagle are prosecuting the case. Megan Ramirez, with the office’s Advanced Litigation Support unit, provided technical assistance to the trial team leading up to and during the trial.
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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Drug Trafficking Investigation Leads to Federal Charges for 3 Central TexansRead the Press Release
WACO, Texas – Multiple individuals were arrested this week in the Waco area as the result of an investigation into an alleged drug trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, Broughm Cheyenne Pate, Matthew Devin Badger, and Christopher Monroe Sanders were arrested and federally charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. An additional subject was arrested in the operation for unrelated outstanding state warrants.
The operation, led jointly by the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office Organized Crime Unit and Waco Police Department Drug Enforcement Unit, spanned across McLennan, Limestone, and Freestone counties and involved the execution of search warrants in the Waco area, the Mexia area, and Teague. In total, six search warrants were executed in the course of the operation.
The operation also resulted in the seizure of numerous items of evidence, including more than 826 grams of methamphetamine, approximately seven grams of cocaine, and 47.25 grams of marijuana. Three firearms were also seized, along with $4,384 in suspected drug proceeds and one vehicle.
If convicted, Pate, Badger and Sanders each face 10 years to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, McLennan County Sheriff's Office, Waco Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, Teague Police Department, and Limestone County Sheriff's Office are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Smith-Burris is prosecuting the case.
A 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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Texas Man Found Guilty in HSTF Case Involving Large-Scale Cartel Firearm TraffickingRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A federal jury in Del Rio convicted a Dale man on two counts of firearms trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Bobby Brandon Galvan aka “Puravidarecia,” 30, was affiliated with the La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM) cartel and straw purchased numerous weapons, to include an AK-47 rifle that was recovered after it was used in a shootout between cartel members and Mexican law enforcement. On Feb. 20, 2025, LNFM was officially designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity by the U.S. Department of State.
An investigation led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives found that, between Sept. 16, 2023, and April 14, 2024, Galvan had purchased 24 AK-47 styled firearms, all of which ended up in Toluca, Mexico for use by Mexican cartels. At trial, the leaders of criminal conspiracy were identified as Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga aka “El Pez,” and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga aka “El Fresa.”
U.S. v. Sealed Case #2:25cr2061Galvan’s straw purchasing activity was part of a larger criminal operation carried out by LNFM, a transnational criminal organization. In his role, Galvan would purchase the firearms, attempt to obliterate their serial numbers, and transfer the firearms to co-conspirators who would then traffic them to Mexico.
Galvan was arrested July 29, 2025, and indicted on Aug. 20 for one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms and one count of straw purchase of firearms. Galvan is one of 26 defendants indicted for charges ranging from firearms trafficking to illegal alien smuggling to money laundering.
Galvan faces up to 40 years in federal prison for each of the two counts. 18 of the indicted co-conspirators have pleaded guilty and await their sentencing hearings. Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses presides over the case.
“This trial is significant in that, not only did it trace two dozen rifles from a Texas town to a Mexican cartel, but it is one of the first trials in the nation to involve a conspiracy to traffic firearms under the relatively new firearms trafficking statute,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “I want to extend my congratulations and gratitude to our federal prosecutors and all of our law enforcement partners who contributed to this well-deserved result. I also want to thank the members of the jury for fulfilling their honorable duty as Americans. Let this verdict show that the Western District of Texas and the American People will not stand idly by and allow anyone to arm our adversaries in violation of federal law."
“This conviction underscores ATF and our law enforcement partners’ unwavering commitment to stopping the flow of illegal firearms from our communities into the hands of violent cartel organizations” said ATF Houston Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel. “The defendant’s actions directly fueled armed violence in Mexico, and we will not allow our communities to be exploited as a source of weapons for transnational criminal groups. ATF and our partners will continue to identify, investigate, and dismantle these trafficking networks at every level.”
“Homeland Security Investigations is committed to dismantling the networks that supply weapons to violent transnational criminal organizations,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge John A Pasciucco, HSI San Antonio. “This conviction demonstrates the impact of coordinated federal law enforcement efforts to disrupt the flow of firearms fueling cartel violence in Mexico. HSI will continue to aggressively pursue those who threaten the safety of our communities and our national security by trafficking firearms across our borders.”
“I would like to highlight the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ critical role in our Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) efforts, bringing specialized expertise to the firearms trafficking component of this case,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Alex Doran of the FBI San Antonio Field Office. “Through the HSTF framework, and working alongside FBI Kansas City, FBI’s Law Enforcement Attache Office in Mexico City, and Homeland Security Investigations, we leveraged actionable intelligence and combined our respective expertise to disrupt weapons trafficking networks tied to La Nueva Familia Michoacana. HSTF collaboration remains central to our mission as we work to identify and dismantle transnational criminal organizations—wherever they operate—and hold them accountable.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Warsame Galaydh and Brett Miner are prosecuting the case.
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal 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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San Antonio Felon Pleads Guilty to Bombing ATMs in 2025Read the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio felon pleaded guilty Thursday to two federal charges related to ATM explosions in September 2025 and his possession of multiple firearms, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
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 been previously convicted of multiple felonies, including possession of a stolen firearm, possession of burglary tools, and multiple counts of theft and burglary of a building.
Ammons pleaded guilty to one count of felon in possession of a firearm and one count of explosive materials, transport by non-licensee. He faces up to 15 years in prison for the possession charge and a maximum of 10 years in prison for the transport charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The ATF, FBI, and San Antonio Police Department are investigating the case with assistance from the San Antonio Arson and Bomb Squad and Bexar County Fire Marshal.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Wannarka is prosecuting the case.
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Over 250 New Federal Immigration Cases Added in Western District of TexasRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 253 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from April 24 to April 30, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. Charges were brought against human smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for numerous DWIs, violent crime, sex crime, drug trafficking, and multiple prior removals.
Among the new cases, Julian Hernandez, a U.S. citizen, was arrested in El Paso and charged with alien smuggling. A criminal complaint alleges U.S. Border Patrol agents observed four individuals run toward a vehicle parked in a parking lot, lay down in an effort to conceal themselves and, after the vehicle drove toward them, entered the vehicle. Agents responded and followed the vehicle to a residential area, where they allegedly observed the driver running away from the vehicle. The driver, allegedly determined to be Hernandez, was caught and the four illegal aliens were placed under arrest. The complaint alleges Hernandez attempted to transport four illegal aliens to a stash house and had been offered $200 for each individual he successfully transported.
Guillermo Gonzalo Taperia-Ruiz, an illegal alien from Guatemala, was found approximately six miles east of the Fort Hancock Port of Entry. He had previously been removed from the U.S. for the fourth time on Oct. 31, 2025, and has been convicted multiple times for charges including statutory rape, assault causing bodily injury, domestic assault, and a DUI.
Geronimo Reyes-Delgadillo, an illegal alien from Mexico, was found approximately 25 miles east of the Fort Hancock POE. He was last removed in 2015. In 2010, Reyes-Delgadillo was convicted of sexual assault and sentenced to 18 months of probation.
Mexican national Francisco Antonio Marquez Sanprano was taken into ICE custody from the Bastrop County Jail, where he had been arrested for an alleged DWI. Marquez Sanprano has been convicted for DWI twice before and was also previously convicted for one count of failing to stop and give information and one count of giving false information. He’s been removed from the U.S. three times.
Jose Alberto Castro-Gatica, also an illegal alien from Mexico, was taken into ICE custody from the Travis County Jail following his second DWI conviction. Castro-Garcia has also been removed from the U.S. three times and, in January 2020, was twice convicted for improper entry by an alien.
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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El Paso Stash House Bust Results in a Dozen Arrests, 3 Juveniles LocatedRead the Press Release
EL PASO – A U.S. citizen and an illegal alien from Venezuela were charged in a federal court in El Paso this week for their alleged involvement in a human smuggling operation, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
U.S. v Dominguez et al, 3:26mj1643According to court documents, U.S. Border Patrol agents served a federal search warrant at an El Paso residence on April 20. Prior to serving the warrant, agents conducting surveillance followed two individuals who left the residence and detained them for additional investigation. One of the individuals, Edith Marie Dominguez, was found to be a U.S. citizen, while the other, Gregory Jose Daniel Martinez-Tovar, was an illegal alien from Venezuela. USBP agents, along with partner agencies, then returned to the residence on Bon Aire Drive to serve the warrant.
During the search of the residence, agents allegedly encountered deplorable living conditions, including scattered trash and covered windows, consistent with operations of a stash house. 10 adults and three juveniles were allegedly found in various rooms of the residence. All of the adults and one of the unaccompanied juveniles were confirmed to be illegally present.
Additionally, according to court documents and testimony during Monday’s detention hearing, agents located other evidence of smuggling during the search, including ledgers, cell phones, U.S. currency, and multiple firearms.
Dominguez and Martinez-Tovar, who had only been detained before the search, were then arrested and charged with one count of alien smuggling. A criminal complaint alleges that Dominguez had been involved in the smuggling operation for approximately one year. She also allegedly admitted to working with a smuggler to transport aliens within the El Paso area and to Albuquerque, New Mexico, assisting others to avoid detection while smuggling aliens through USBP checkpoints in New Mexico. Both Dominguez and Martinez-Tovar allegedly admitted to acting as caretakers of the stash house.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Van Pelt is prosecuting the case.
U.S. v Dominguez et al, 3:26mj1643This case is being investigated and prosecuted by the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal 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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U.S. Attorney’s Office Adds Nearly 250 New Federal Immigration Cases in Western District of Texas This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 245 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from April 17 to April 23, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. Charges were brought against human smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for numerous DWIs, violent crime, including crimes against children, drug trafficking, and multiple prior removals.
Among the new cases, Daniel Calderon-Ortiz, a convicted felon and illegal alien from Mexico, was arrested after U.S. Border Patrol agents found that he had allegedly transported an illegal alien to an apartment in El Paso. A criminal complaint alleges that Calderon-Ortiz had picked up the illegal alien off of I-10 and had previously picked up other aliens and housed them in the apartment. Calderon-Ortiz was last deported in September 2014 following a conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon the month prior.
In Alpine, USBP agents arrested U.S. citizen Peyton Russell Ortiz on April 19 near Big Bend National Park. The vehicle allegedly driven by Ortiz was linked to a failed smuggling attempt that occurred in February. As described in a criminal complaint, agents observed the vehicle slow down and stop on the side of the road upon seeing a marked USBP patrol unit. Without activating their emergency equipment, agents decided to conduct a welfare check. The complaint notes Ortiz’s unkempt appearance and alleges that he exhibited signs of nervousness, erratic behavior, and movement while agents questioned him. Ortiz allegedly stated that he and a female front passenger were the only two occupants in the vehicle, though upon further investigation, USBP agents detained five individuals attempting to hide in the rear passenger seat and six additional concealed individuals in the truck bed—all 11 of whom were confirmed to be illegal aliens. The complaint further alleges that a search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of a loaded firearm in the front seat center console. Ortiz is charged with one count of human smuggling.
Ricardo Marquina Castillo, an illegal alien from Mexico, was arrested on April 16 and charged with illegal re-entry in Del Rio after just being deported the week before. Marquina Castillo’s criminal record contains five DWIs out of Minnesota. His removal through El Paso on April 7 was his 11th.
Mexican national Martin Macedo-Aroyo was arrested on April 18 near Maverick and charged with illegal re-entry. His criminal record consists of five convictions, including a felony third DWI and two convictions for contempt of court. He was deported for the second time on Sept. 29, 2025.
Alexis Santos Alvarado, an illegal alien from Honduras, was charged with illegal re-entry in Del Rio. Santos Alvarado was convicted in July 2025 for unlawful restraint of a minor and sentenced to one year in jail. He was deported the following month through Harlingen.
Yimy Jose Lopez-Mejia aka Jimmy Lopez-Mejia, also an illegal alien from Honduras, was charged with illegal re-entry in Del Rio, having been previously removed from the U.S. four times, the last being in December through Miami, Florida. Lopez-Mejia is a convicted felon with a confirmed record of aggravated assault and robbery.
On April 20, Mexican national Joel Gomez-Cruz was transferred to ICE custody in San Antonio from the Bexar County Adult Detention Center after he was sentenced to 209 days confinement for assault causing bodily injury. Gomez-Cruz was arrested on Sept. 22, 2025, for assault on a peace officer/judge. Through immigration records, he was determined to be an illegal alien previously removed from the United States in 2013. His past convictions include aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute marijuana in 2006, which resulted in 24 months imprisonment, and illegal re-entry in 2010, resulting in 46 months imprisonment.
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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Iranian National Charged for Smuggling Illegal Aliens into United StatesRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed today in the Western District of Texas charging Jafar Tafakori, 57, an Iranian national, for his role in coordinating the smuggling of illegal aliens into the United States. Tafakori was arrested in Colombia at the request of the United States.
According to the indictment, from at least Dec. 1, 2022, through on or about May 15, 2024, Tafakori illegally brought large numbers of aliens, primarily Iranian nationals, into the United States. In exchange for payment, Tafakori coordinated with others to provide shelter, transportation, and occasionally airline tickets for the aliens to travel through South and Central America and Mexico. Tafakori charged some aliens as much as $30,000 for his services. Once at the U.S./Mexico border, the aliens were directed to illegally enter the United States.
“Securing our borders and stopping alien smuggling is a top priority for the Department of Justice,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This defendant allegedly transported many illegal aliens into the United States, exploiting our nation’s immigration laws and depriving our immigration officials the ability to vet and review the individuals entering our communities. Thanks to the hard work of our prosecutors and investigative partners, this individual was arrested in Colombia and will be brought to justice in the United States for his crimes.”
“Jafar Tafakori allegedly smuggled Iranian nationals illegally into the United States for 18 months,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Based on this indictment, Colombian authorities acted fast and arrested Tafakori, and when he is extradited, he will face justice in the United States. Those who endanger our communities by participating in human smuggling across our borders will be apprehended regardless of if they live in the United States or abroad.”
“Tafakori’s actions demonstrate the inherent dangers of an open-border policy,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “The enemy was at the gate, and the gate was left wide open. Tafakori’s indictment and arrest, which was facilitated by members of the Homeland Security Task Force, reinforce this administration’s commitment to securing our borders, protecting Americans, and diligently prosecuting those who took advantage of derelict open-border policies.”
“Homeland Security Investigations remains steadfast in its pursuit of transnational criminal organizations that endanger national security by smuggling illegal aliens from regions associated with criminal activity,” said acting Special Agent in Charge John A. Pasciucco, HSI San Antonio. “HSI’s ongoing investigations focus on identifying, disrupting, and dismantling these networks to ensure those who threaten the safety of our communities are brought to justice. Our commitment to protecting the homeland is unwavering, and we will continue to use all available resources to prevent individuals with dangerous intentions from exploiting our borders.”
“The arrest of this Iranian national involved in smuggling large numbers of individuals — primarily fellow Iranian citizens — into the United States underscores the global reach and threat of human smuggling networks,” said Assistant Director Ricardo Mayoral of HSI International Operations. “This outcome, made possible through close coordination between HSI San Antonio, HSI Bogotá, and our Colombian partners, reflects HSI’s unwavering commitment to protecting our borders and disrupting transnational criminal activity.”
Tafakori is charged with one count of conspiracy to bring an alien to the United States and five counts of bringing an alien to the United States for financial gain. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count. If convicted of three or more counts of illegally bringing an alien to the United States for financial gain, Tafakori faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum penalty of fifteen years.
Colombian authorities issued a warrant and arrested Takafori on April 23 in Pereira, Colombia, pursuant to a request from the United States.
HSI San Antonio conducted the investigation along with assistance from the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center, HSI Bogotá, and United States Border Patrol’s Del Rio Sector Intelligence Unit. Significant assistance was provided by HSI Bogota’s Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit from the Colombian National Police’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (TCIU-DIJIN) and the Colombian Attorney General’s Office.
Trial Attorney Bethany Allen of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions section, on detail from the Office of International Affairs, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian Rosales for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Office of International Affairs, and Interpol Washington provided significant assistance in this matter. The Justice Department thanks its Colombian law enforcement partners for their expeditious enforcement operation.
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 United States 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 USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 455 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 400 U.S. convictions; and more than 350 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes these organizations commit, 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.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Federal Jury Convicts Ecuadorian for Threatening to Murder San Antonio Park RangerRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A federal jury in San Antonio convicted an Ecuadorian national for threatening to murder a federal official, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on or about July 24, 2023, Sergio Renato Tapia, 31, called the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and left a voicemail that included a violent threat to murder a National Park Service ranger. NPS rangers immediately recognized Tapia's voice and worked quickly with the U.S. Marshals Service to apprehend him on July 26.
NPS rangers had previously encountered Tapia on numerous occasions at Mission Concepcion, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to an active Catholic church, citing him several times for unlawful possession of a controlled substance. This week, in front of U.S. District Judge Jason Pulliam, the jury unanimously found Tapia had intentionally communicated a threat to murder a federal official, rejecting Tapia's insanity defense after deliberating for one hour.
The NPS and USMS investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Mangels is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Mexican National Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in Federal Prison for Smuggling Liquid Meth into U.S. in Propane TanksRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A Mexican national was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 210 months in prison for importing 163 kgs of liquid methamphetamine from Mexico into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, on June 5, 2022, Paul Ivan Palmero-Martinez, 51, pulled up to the Eagle Pass Port of Entry driving a Ford F350 tow truck. He stated that he was traveling from Piedras Negras to San Antonio to purchase motor bikes for his business in Mexico, and that he had nothing to declare.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers (CBPO) directed Palmero-Martinez to secondary inspection, where he stated he was traveling to San Antonio to purchase an engine. A CBPO opened the back compartment of Palmero-Martinez’s vehicle and located two large propane tanks that looked and smelled as if they were recently painted. A K9 alerted to the smell of narcotics. Further inspection revealed anomalies in the propane tanks, which were then cut open to reveal six large packages of methamphetamine with a total weight of 168.2 kgs.
Palmero-Martinez told ICE Homeland Security Investigations agents that a co-conspirator was supposed to pay him for transporting the methamphetamine to San Antonio. He further admitted that he had previously transported the F350 from Mexico to San Antonio through the Del Rio Port of Entry to establish a crossing history and that he received $800 from the co-conspirator for doing so.
Following his arrest, Palmero-Martinez was charged in a four-count indictment. He pleaded guilty to one count on Sept. 19, 2022. Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses presided over the case.
ICE HSI 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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More Than 220 New Federal Immigration Cases Added in Western District of TexasRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 221 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from April 10 to April 16, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. Charges were brought against human smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for kidnapping, numerous DWIs, theft, violent crime, and multiple prior removals.
Among the new cases, U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehended an illegal alien whom they had observed running north from the U.S.-Mexico border in the El Paso area. A criminal complaint alleges that one of the agents observed that the alien’s cell phone rang repeatedly and that, using the alien’s cell phone, the agents were led to a location on East Paisano Drive. According to the complaint, they encountered Mexican national Carlos Alberto Cardona at the location, where he had arranged to pick up the alien to assist with smuggling. Cardona stated he himself had entered the U.S. illegally on March 25 and agreed to work for a smuggling organization to avoid paying his own smuggling fee. Additionally, the complaint alleges Cardona would be paid $500 per week for taking care of illegal aliens and would transport them to a stash house. Further investigation led the USBP agents to the stash house where they allegedly located 14 illegal aliens and arrested Pedro Anaya-Anaya, an alleged caretaker who had also illegally crossed into the U.S. on March 25 and agreed to work for the smugglers in lieu of paying a smuggling fee balance of $3,500. Both Cardona and Anaya-Anaya now face human smuggling charges.
Juan Carlos Andrade-Martinez, an illegal alien from Mexico, was encountered on July 4, 2023, at the El Paso County Detention Facility, where he faced state charges for kidnapping. Last month, on March 17, he was convicted and sentenced to 32 months imprisonment. Andrade-Martinez was transferred to ICE custody on April 9 and is now charged with illegal re-entry. He was previously convicted for improper entry by an alien in 2010 and was last removed from the U.S. in November 2019.
A criminal complaint alleges that Mexican national Moises Velazquez-Perez was found near the Burlington North Santa Fe Railyard in El Paso after being previously deported twice, the last being on Dec. 19, 2025. In June 2023, Velazquez-Perez was convicted of resisting an officer with violence and battery on a law enforcement officer. Prior to that, he was arrested for assault and convicted of resisting an officer in 2008.
Ecuadorian national Bosco Joel Idrovo-Soto was arrested in El Paso after being identified as an illegal alien. In 2004, Idrovo-Soto was convicted of aggravated assault in New Jersey and sentenced to 364 days in jail. He was removed from the U.S. in September 2009 following an arrest for shoplifting.
U.S. citizen Frank Camacho was charged with transportation of illegal aliens in San Antonio. According to a criminal complaint, a USBP agent conducted a traffic stop on a pickup truck driven by Camacho on Texas State Highway 85 near Dilley. The complaint alleges that, while approaching the vehicle, the agent observed a single male in camouflage clothing lying flat on the floorboard. The individual was determined to be an illegal alien. Additionally, the complaint alleges that Camacho possessed a fully loaded 9mm handgun in in the center console of the vehicle.
Cesar Reyna-Ramirez, an illegal alien from Mexico, was arrested in San Antonio and charged with illegally re-entering the United States. Reyna-Ramirez was previously encountered at the Kendall County Jail in 2024 following an arrest for an obscured license plate. Despite an immigration detainer, he was not released to ICE custody. On Wednesday, ICE Enforcement Removal Operations and USBP agents conducted a traffic stop on Reyna-Ramirez near Loop 410 North and U.S. Highway 87. A review of his criminal history revealed Reyna-Ramirez was previously convicted of transportation of an unlawful alien within the U.S. and sentenced to 15 months in federal prison.
Honduran national Roger Andino Gomez-Dominguez aka Jose Jeremias Dominguez was arrested by USBP agents near Maverick and charged with illegal re-entry. Gomez-Dominguez has been deported thrice before, the last being in March 2024, following a conviction for stalking. In 2023, he was convicted of a DUI and threatening crime with intent to terrorize.
ICE arrested Mexican national Felipe Marquez-Rangel in Travis County on Wednesday, charging him with illegal re-entry. Marquez-Rangel has been removed from the U.S. three times, the last being in August 2018, following his second DWI.
Rodolfo Renteria-Mendez, also an illegal alien from Mexico, was found in Caldwell County on April 13. Immigration records indicated that Renteria-Mendez was previously removed for the second time in July 2017, after being convicted of his second DWI. He is now charged with illegal re-entry.
Hector Perez-Sales aka Marvin Perez-Sales, an illegal alien from Guatemala was found in Williamson County on April 13. Perez-Sales has been previously removed from the U.S. seven times, the last being in September 2017.
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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Hedge Fund Manager Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion in AustinRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – A Cayman national who renounced his U.S. citizenship pleaded guilty today to evading payment of more than $1.5 million of federal income tax liabilities.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Justin Ryan Schmidt, formerly of Austin, managed a hedge fund focusing on cryptocurrency investments. Between 2020 and March 2022, Schmidt earned a total of more than $6 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.
In November 2021, Schmidt became a British citizen. He 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 willfully filed a false expatriation statement reporting that his net worth was $25,000 at the time of expatriation, when in fact it exceeded $2 million, and stating that he had complied with his tax obligations for the preceding five years when he knew that he had not.
In 2023, Schmidt paid approximately $5.8 million to purchase real property in Snowmass Village, Colorado, and sold the property a few 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.
Schmidt pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion. His sentencing will be scheduled at a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, as well as restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Michael C. Boteler and Trial Attorney Michael Jones of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Doug Gardner assisted at the hearing.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announce the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
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Texas Man Posed as a Minor on Social Media, Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WACO, Texas – A Santa Rosa man who previously resided on Fort Hood was sentenced in a federal court in Waco today to 240 months in prison for distributing child sexual abuse material to minors, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, Gilbert Andrew Longoria, 23, possessed and operated accounts on Instagram and Snapchat where he pretended to be a 15-year-old male seeking nude photos of minor females. Longoria admitted to having approximately 70 images of child pornography from minor females and that he maintained an online relationship with a 14-year-old female for several months, throughout which they exchanged nude photos of each other.
Longoria was arrested on June 5, 2025, and pleaded guilty to the indicted charge on Dec. 16, 2025. U.S. District Judge Alan Albright presided over the case.
The FBI and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Gloff 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 Justice.gov/PSC.
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San Antonio Repeat Tax Evader Sentenced to Federal Prison on Tax DayRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced today to 37 months in federal prison for tax evasion, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, Juan R. Gonzalez, 52, owned and operated a residential construction business in San Antonio, under the name Gonzalez Construction, working as a subcontractor for other entities. During tax years 2020 and 2021, Gonzalez organized his personal and business financial activities so as to evade the assessment of his federal income taxes. He did this by commingling funds, dealing extensively in cash, using a nominee name, handling his affairs to avoid making the records usual in transactions of the kind, and other conduct intended to mislead or conceal. Gonzalez did not file tax returns for tax years 2020 and 2021, during which he earned approximately $1,030,079.45 of taxable income, resulting in a tax due and owing of approximately $370,752.64.
Gonzalez, who was previously convicted of tax evasion in 2011, was indicted in May 2025 on 22 counts, including two tax evasion counts, 18 counts of structuring currency transactions, and two counts of identity theft. He pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion on Jan. 7. In addition to imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez ordered Gonzalez pay $370,752.64 in restitution to the IRS.
“Gonzalez is returning to federal prison having not learned after his first conviction 15 years ago, that the U.S. government does not tolerate those who try to undermine our tax laws,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “Every American has a legal duty to pay their taxes, and today's sentencing—on Tax Day of all days—is a good reminder of the consequences awaiting those who refuse to do so.”
"Gonzalez didn't learn to respect the law and society after his first 30 months in prison, so maybe losing his freedom for 37 more months will deter him from deceiving his employers, financial institutions and our nation," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Rodrick Benton of IRS Criminal Investigation's Houston Field Office. "Tax evasion is willfully deciding to avoid paying taxes. Today is Tax Day. Make the right decision."
IRS-CI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Harris prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
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Illegal Alien Sentenced to 27 years in Federal Prison for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – An illegal alien from Mexico was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio today to 330 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, Jose Antonio Gabaldon-Salas, 30, of Nuevo Leon, was pulled over by a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper on July 16, 2023, driving south on Interstate Highway 35 near Abbott. A K-9 conducted a free-air sniff of Gabaldon-Salas’s vehicle, alerting to the odor of narcotics near the seam of the rear door on the driver’s side. The trooper removed the door panel to discover three colored plastic bags containing eight bundles of rubber-banded U.S. currency along with a half brick of a white powdery substance. Further investigation revealed two more bundles of rubber-banded U.S. currency inside a black backpack on the passenger seat.
A chemical analysis determined that the substance found in Gabaldon-Salas’s vehicle was 520.24 grams of cocaine. The bundled cash totaled $38,685. Gabaldon-Salas stated that he worked for a drug trafficking organization (DTO) since October 2022, operating as a money counter before being promoted to driver. As a driver, he trafficked cocaine to Dallas and returned bulk cash to the border area to be smuggled into Mexico.
Gabaldon-Salas admitted to transporting between six and 12 kilograms of cocaine per month from December 2022 up until his July 2023 arrest. He also stated that he worked for the DTO both for money and out of fear, saying that he had been threatened on numerous occasions and that he witnessed another member of the organization hire a hitman to shoot a cocaine dealer/business partner in Mexico.
Gabaldon-Salas revealed that he resided at an Austin apartment with a co-conspirator and the co-conspirator’s girlfriend. A search of the apartment resulted in the discovery of $58,695, believed to be proceeds from narcotics trafficking.
Gabaldon-Salas was arrested on July 16, 2023, and indicted on Oct. 18, 2023. He pleaded guilty on April 29, 2024. Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses presided over the case.
ICE 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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Armenian Man Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Controlled Goods to RussiaRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – An Armenian national pleaded guilty in a federal court in Austin today to participating in a criminal conspiracy to export goods from the United States to the Russian Federation through the Republic of Armenia without the requisite license or authorization from the U.S. government.
According to court documents, from February 2022 until at least August 2024, Kamo Kirakosyan knowingly and willfully combined, conspired, and agreed with others to export and reexport goods subject to the Export Administration Regulations without having first obtained the required licenses from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry & Security. The exported goods included items that could be used for semiconductor manufacturing.
Kirakosyan became the straw or substitute purchaser of the U.S.-origin goods for his co-conspirators shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, and the imposition of additional sanctions and export restrictions on Russia. As part of the scheme, Kirakosyan sent a co-conspirator instructions on opening a bank account in Armenia for the purpose of evading sanctions. While arranging the transshipment of goods to Russia, Kirakosyan represented himself to U.S. companies as the Armenian buyer of goods and did not provide truthful information about the end users, despite the U.S. companies’ requests for end user statements, and despite Kirakosyan’s knowledge that the unauthorized export or reexport to Russia of certain shipments was prohibited without a license. On Feb. 23, 2023, the company Kirakosyan conspired with was designated by Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control on the Specially Designated Nationals List, subjecting the Russian company to U.S. blocking sanctions and a general prohibition on transacting with U.S. persons or entities.
Kirakosyan was initially charged in a criminal complaint on or about July 31, 2024. He was extradited from Germany to the U.S. on Aug. 29, 2025, and pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to violate federal law. He faces up to five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons, made the announcement.
The FBI San Antonio Counterintelligence Task Force, comprised of the Bureau of Industry and Security of the U.S. Department of Commerce, and other partners, is leading the investigation. The FBI’s Legal Attaché office in Berlin provided significant assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also played a key role in securing Kirakosyan’s extradition to the United States.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Roomberg and Keith Henneke are prosecuting the case with assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Adds 261 New Immigration Cases in Western District of TexasRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 261 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from April 3 to April 9, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons.
Charges were brought against human smugglers and illegal aliens who, as a group, had the following prior convictions: DWI (19), aggravated assault (1), evading arrest/detention (5), assault family violence (1), theft (1), possession with intent to distribute (2), burglary of a habitation (2), possession of a controlled substance (6), rape (1), failure to register as a sex offender (1), voter retaliation (1), reckless driving (1), resisting arrest (1), assault family violence-impeding breath (1), failure to ID (3), assault bodily injury (1), fictitious license plate (1), failure to appear (1), and aggravated robbery (1). The vast majority of these crimes were committed by illegal aliens found in and around Austin.
Among the new cases, convicted sex offender Jorge Guerrero-Martinez, an illegal alien from Mexico, was arrested near Val Verde. Guerrero-Martinez was recently deported for the third time on March 13, after being charged in Missouri for failing to register as a sex offender. In 2010, he was convicted of second-degree statutory rape and sentenced to five years in prison. He was then convicted in 2017 of illegal re-entry and sentenced to 57 months confinement.
U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Mexican national Enrique Eleuterio Lopez-Rocha for illegal re-entry near Maverick. Lopez-Rocha was deported for the second time in May 2025 following a six-month prison sentence for probation violation. His criminal record includes cocaine trafficking in 2020, along with three DWIs.
Samuel Castro, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with alien smuggling in El Paso on April 6. USBP agents apprehended an illegal alien approximately half a mile east of the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry. A criminal complaint alleges that during the apprehension, the agents observed a vehicle parked nearby and questioned its two occupants. Castro was the driver of the vehicle, who allegedly told agents that he intended to pick up and transport two illegal aliens and expected to be paid $500 for each. Castro allegedly claimed to be involved in alien smuggling since 2023, operating as a coordinator and a driver. In October 2024, he was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and evading arrest with a vehicle.
In San Antonio, Miguel Manzano-Ramirez was encountered after he was arrested by Hollywood Park Police on a public intoxication charge on April 5. He was determined to be an illegal alien from Mexico and later transferred to ICE custody. A review of his criminal history revealed that Manzano-Ramirez has been convicted of three DWIs.
Mexican national Arturo Castro Hernandez was transferred to federal custody on April 6 after being found in Bastrop County. He has been removed from the U.S. twice, and previously convicted of three DWIs, evading arrest, reckless driving, and failure to identify. He now faces an illegal re-entry charge in Austin.
Also found in Bastrop, Adan Tolentino Guerrero is an illegal alien from Mexico with two prior removals. He was arrested and convicted in 2025 for fleeing from a police officer and his third DWI. He was also convicted of possession of a controlled substance in 2018 and illegal re-entry in 2020.
Honorio Victorino-Rebollar, another illegal alien from Mexico with three prior DWI convictions, was charged with illegal re-entry for the third time after he was found in Travis County on April 5. His last removal was Sept. 5, 2018.
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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Federal Jury Finds San Antonio Tax Preparer Guilty of Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A federal jury convicted a San Antonio woman today on 11 counts of aiding or assisting in the filing of a false tax return, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Natasha Sheree Banks-Brown, 45, owned and operated a tax preparation business named “Tasha’s Total Tax Service,” beginning in 2016. In December 2020, IRS Criminal Investigations began investigating an increasing number of questionable tax returns prepared by Banks-Brown.
The investigation revealed that Banks-Brown filed individual tax returns on behalf of her clients which included false and fraudulent deductions and credits which significantly increased their tax refunds. Banks-Brown never quoted a specific price for her services and said that she would take her fee out of the return. As part of her fraudulent scheme, she used tax preparation software that allowed her to designate returns to be deposited into a bank account she controlled. The client would then receive a portion of the return via a transfer from Banks-Brown’s bank account to the client’s account. Multiple clients testified that they never received a copy of the tax return themselves or reviewed the returns with Banks-Brown, and that they were unaware of her actions. Evidence introduced at trial indicated that Banks-Brown filed close to 1,200 tax returns between 2017 and 2021 that resulted in over $8 million dollars of refunds.
Banks-Brown was indicted on April 3, 2024, and arrested April 16, 2024. A jury was selected on April 6, 2026, and a four-day trial, presided over by U.S. District Judge David Ezra, began on April 7. A sentencing hearing is currently scheduled for July 13.
“Everyone rightly wants to get the best deal on their tax preparation and the largest refund possible, but some things are just too good to be true,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “The public should be aware that tax preparers may have the incentive to defraud the IRS for their own personal benefit and to the detriment of their clients. This defendant abused the trust of her clients to make more than a million dollars for herself and cost the government several times that amount. This tax season, and every tax season, taxpayers should make sure to properly vet their tax preparers and keep an eye out for any suspicious behavior both to protect themselves and the country as a whole from these types of fraudsters.”
“We use tried and true investigative techniques, including undercover special agents, to document what a return preparer does when they think the government isn’t looking,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Rodrick Benton of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office. “In this case, the evidence was very clear that the tax fraud was committed. As tax season comes to a close, be careful who you let file your tax returns.”
IRS-CI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Chung and Ryan Groomer are prosecuting the case.
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Alabama Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Leadership Role in Alien Smuggling OrganizationRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – An Alabama man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 96 months in prison for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens placing lives in jeopardy, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, Joel Contreras Jr., 33, of Albertville, Alabama, was a member of the Guzman Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO), an international criminal enterprise operating in Oklahoma, Alabama, Texas, Louisiana and Mexico. Directly connected to the Cartel De Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), the organization traffics guns and drugs and smuggles illegal aliens into the United States.
From May 2021 through June 1, 2022, Contreras communicated with other members of the criminal conspiracy, including the head of the Guzman TCO. Texas Department of Public Safety Troopers conducted a traffic stop on Contreras on May 9, 2022, after noticing that the rear quarter panel of his vehicle was sitting low and showing little to no room between the tire and the wheel well of the vehicle. During the traffic stop, the troopers noticed human bodies concealed by a blanket in the second row of the vehicle as well as within the rear hatch area of the vehicle. The concealed individuals were identified as illegal aliens whom Contreras had picked up at an Eagle Pass gas station and was transporting to either Houston or San Antonio. Upon delivery of the aliens, Contreras was to be paid $500 per alien. He was charged by the state for smuggling of persons with a likelihood of serious bodily injury or death—charges which were ultimately dismissed.
Contreras was again arrested in September 2024 for alleged forgery and obstruction of justice in Marshall County, Alabama. While in custody, Conteras admitted to his role in the Guzman TCO and his participation in alien smuggling events. A search of his phone revealed various photos, phone numbers, and pin drop locations related to the TCO’s smuggling ventures.
Contreras was transferred to ICE custody on Nov. 22, 2024, and pleaded guilty on Feb. 18, 2025. He is one of 14 defendants charged, and the first to be sentenced, in the large-scale TCO. It is estimated that the TCO moves 50-100 illegal aliens per month through the Western District of Texas. To date, law enforcement has been able to attribute more than 1,000 illegal aliens and 400 failed smuggling events to the Guzman TCO. Contreras was held accountable for smuggling 655 illegal aliens.
ICE Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with assistance from the FBI.
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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