Western District of Texas
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
El Paso Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Abusing Multiple Minors in MexicoRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – An El Paso man was sentenced in federal court to 240 months in prison for transporting a visual depiction involving the sexual exploitation of a minor across the international border.
According to court documents, on January 10, Enrique Ruvalcaba-Mendez, 71, was referred to secondary inspection at the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers discovered that his phone contained several videos and photos of Ruvalcaba engaged in sexual activity with minor females.
The investigation revealed Ruvalcaba would travel to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, where he would pay to have sex with minors. He would videotape himself with the minors and save them on his phone. Ruvalcaba was found to have abused at least three minors in Mexico.
Ruvalcaba pleaded guilty on July 3 and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge David Briones on Sept. 24.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
ICE Homeland Security Investigations and CBP investigated the case with assistance from the HSI Assistant Attaché Office in Ciudad Juarez.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shane Romero prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Western District of Texas U.S. Attorney’s Office Adds 270 New Immigration CasesRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – United States Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced today that federal prosecutors in the district filed 270 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from Sept. 19 through 25. Significant cases include U.S. citizens arrested on human smuggling charges, illegal alien sex offenders, and numerous illegal aliens arrested across the district with multiple DWI convictions on their record.
Among the new cases, two U.S. citizens, Jesus Ruiz Murillo aka Gabriella Ruiz Murillo, and Sebastian Ruiz, were arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents near Dilley on Monday. USBP agents conducted an immigration inspection on the vehicle while it was stopped at a gas station, during which the agents allegedly observed feet protruding from underneath a sun shield on the floor of the vehicle. A criminal complaint alleges that the agents discovered a total of six individuals—all determined to be Mexican nationals—hidden in the rear seats of the SUV driven by Ruiz Murillo. Ruiz Murillo and Sebastian Ruiz are siblings and were allegedly transporting the six illegal aliens from Crystal City to a stash house in San Antonio, anticipating a payment of $1,500 in cash per illegal alien. Further investigation revealed that at least four of the illegal aliens were paying $6,500 to $7,000 each to be smuggled into the United States. Ruiz and Ruiz Murillo are both charged with transportation of illegal aliens for financial gain.
Mexican national Arturo Barrios-Medina was found in the Bexar County Jail after his Sept. 15 arrest on a warrant out of Florida based on a sex offender registration violation. Barrios-Medina was turned over to ICE custody on Sept. 19 and charged with illegal re-entry. In August 2004, Barrios-Medina was convicted in Florida for providing obscene material to minors and possession of child pornography. He was sentenced to one year and one day of confinement and removed from the U.S. on Oct. 7, 2004.
In El Paso, U.S. citizen Edmundo Vizcaya was arrested on human smuggling charges after agents allegedly observed six individuals wearing yellow construction vests attempting to conceal themselves inside Vizcaya’s vehicle. A criminal complaint alleges that the individuals admitted to being illegal aliens and Vizcaya stated he would be paid $500 per alien he transported to a drop-off location he had coordinated with another smuggler. In 2024 in El Paso County, Vizcaya was given deferred adjudication for aggravated robbery and possession of a prohibited weapon.
Mexican national Jesus Armando Ramirez-Hernandez was charged with illegal re-entry, having been previously removed from the U.S. two times, the last being in 2023 through San Ysidro, California. Ramirez-Hernandez is a convicted felon with convictions for conspiracy to transport aliens, possession of a controlled substance, assault causing bodily injury to a family member and aggravated sexual assault of a child.
Jordan Lorenzo Zavala-Mendez, also a Mexican national and convicted felon, was arrested and charged with illegal re-entry. Zavala was just removed from the U.S. to Mexico on Feb. 12 after serving a one-year prison sentence for illegal re-entry. Zavala-Mendez has also been convicted twice for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and twice for possession of a controlled substance.
Juan Hernandez-Cotzojay, a Guatemalan national with three prior removals, was found and arrested approximately 13 miles west of the Tornillo Port of Entry. His most recent removal was on Aug. 14 and his criminal record includes two DWI convictions in Houston.
Mexican national Hector Martinez Aranda was charged with illegal re-entry after he was encountered by ICE at the Travis County Jail. He had been arrested on Sept. 19 for driving without a license and with an open container. Martinez Aranda has been convicted three times for DWI charges and was convicted for improper entry by an alien in Del Rio in 2011. He has been removed from the U.S. to Mexico twice.
Also taken into ICE custody out of the Travis County Jail, Mexican national Pablo Torres Mendieta had been arrested for his second DWI charge, along with charges for bribery and fleeing a police officer. Torres Mendieta’s first DWI conviction was in 1998. He was also convicted that year for an immigration violation and was subsequently deported. He’s now federally charged with illegal re-entry.
Jose Ramirez-Betancourt, also a Mexican national, was taken into ICE custody after he was encountered at the Williamson County Jail. He was convicted on Sept. 11 for a DWI and assault causing bodily injury. Additionally, Ramirez-Betancourt’s criminal record includes two previous convictions for driving while impaired in North Carolina.
In Del Rio, Mexican national Jose Manuel Ibarra-Gamez was arrested and charged with illegal re-entry less than four weeks after he was removed from the U.S. for the sixth time. Ibarra-Gamez has been convicted three times for illegal re-entry and twice for DWI charges.
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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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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Lockhart Woman Sentenced for Lead Role in Alien Smuggling ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A Lockhart woman was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 60 months in prison for her role in a conspiracy to transport illegal aliens from Eagle Pass to San Antonio.
According to court documents, Temple Ordaz-Alvarado, 50, was a leader, organizer and stash house operator for an Alien Smuggling Organization. She was responsible for the smuggling of 53 illegal aliens from Sept. 8, 2021, to May 21, 2024.
Ordaz-Alvarado was arrested during a traffic stop driving ahead of her co-conspirator, Honduran national Erin Gutierrez-Maradiaga, who was discovered to be transporting four illegal aliens. During the traffic stop, U.S. Border Patrol agents seized approximately $3,004 in proceeds from Ordaz-Alvarado.
Further investigation revealed that Gutierrez-Maradiaga had driven from Houston to Eagle Pass, where he stayed at a motel with Ordaz-Alvarado, who offered to pay him $1,500 per illegal alien to pick up and transport four illegal aliens to San Antonio. Gutierrez-Maradiaga picked up the four aliens and transported them to the motel room, where Ordaz-Alvarado provided them with food before their drive north on U.S. Highway 277.
Ordaz-Alvarado pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge on Aug. 12, 2024. Gutierrez-Maradiaga was sentenced to 76 months in prison on March 7. U.S. District Judge Ernest Gonzalez presided over the court proceedings.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
ICE, the U.S. Border Patrol and the Texas Department of Public Safety investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Fleming and Joseph Duarte II 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Western District of Texas U.S. Attorney’s Office Adds Nearly 300 New Immigration CasesRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – United States Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced today that federal prosecutors in the district filed 294 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from Sept. 12 through 18.
Among the new cases, Mexican national Ramiro Barrera-Gonzalez was charged in San Antonio with assault on a federal officer after he was initially arrested for illegal entry by an alien. A criminal complaint alleges that while he was in U.S. Border Patrol custody on Sept. 11, Barrera-Gonzalez ingested bleach and was transported to a San Antonio hospital for medical treatment. Two days later, as a Border Patrol agent escorted Barrera-Gonzalez to a hospital restroom, Barrera-Gonzalez allegedly lunged toward the agent’s holstered firearm. An altercation ensued, causing both the Barrera-Gonzalez and the agent to fall to the ground and resulting in an injury to the agent’s forearm.
Two U.S. citizens were arrested on Sept. 12 when they approached a Del Rio Border Patrol checkpoint and allegedly drove away at a high rate of speed after refusing to open the trunk of their vehicle and failing to pull over for secondary inspection. A criminal complaint alleges that Border Patrol agents caught up in a pursuit and observed the driver, Andre Limon Criston Austin, pull over before the car’s trunk opened and two females were seen attempting to climb out. As the agents approached, Austin allegedly accelerated again, causing the trunk to close with the females still inside. Austin’s vehicle allegedly stopped again, and one female exited the trunk before he accelerated another time, causing the second female to fall out of the vehicle. Both females were found to be in the U.S. illegally. Austin and a female passenger in his vehicle, Paris Engjqulique Walpool, were eventually taken into custody. Further investigation revealed that Austin and Walpool allegedly co-conspired with other facilitators after accepting a job in a Facebook group to “move” things in Eagle Pass for $2,500. Austin and Walpool are both charged with bringing in and harboring certain aliens.
Another U.S. citizen was charged in a separate incident for allegedly conspiring to transport two illegal aliens further into the United States. Sebastian Medina-Carrillo was arrested near Carrizo Springs on Sept. 11 when U.S. Border Patrol agents conducted a traffic stop on and allegedly observed physical abnormalities in an external fuel tank of his vehicle. An immigration vehicle inspection allegedly revealed two illegal aliens concealed inside the fuel tank. A criminal complaint alleges Medina-Carrillo was transporting the two aliens to Dilley and would be paid $1,000.
Three individuals, including two male illegal aliens and a female with a Permanent Resident Alien Card, were arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents after allegedly using two vehicles in an attempt to pick up and transport six illegal aliens who had crossed the border fence more than seven miles east of the Fort Hancock Port of Entry. The two vehicles were allegedly seen speeding away from where the illegal aliens had been observed. USBP agents initiated traffic stops, arresting Juan Pedro Zamarron-Navarrete, a Mexican national, who was identified as the driver of one vehicle. The alleged driver of the second vehicle, Ayde Castaneda-Rivera, and her passenger Oscar Chapa-Gomez, who was confirmed to be an illegal alien, were also arrested. Further investigation revealed that Zamarron-Navarrete had illegally re-entered the U.S. on Sept. 2, after serving six months in jail for an alien smuggling conviction and being removed to Mexico. The investigation also revealed that Castaneda-Rivera and Chapa-Gomez allegedly served as lookouts for Zamarron-Navarrete, who decided to leave the pick-up location when he saw USBP arriving.
On Monday, USBP agents in El Paso responded to a vehicle suspected of picking up seven illegal aliens who had just crossed into the U.S. A criminal complaint alleges that the agents observed an empty driver’s seat when they located the vehicle, and they found the seven aliens, including two unaccompanied illegal aliens, attempting to hide inside the vehicle. The driver, identified as U.S. citizen Miguel Arturo Corral, was allegedly located attempting to conceal himself in a nearby cotton field and was arrested on a human smuggling charge. Corral’s criminal history includes several prior convictions, including racing on the highway, driving with an invalid license, evading arrest, and two DWIs.
U.S. citizen Lucio David Rivera-Esparza was also arrested and charged with human smuggling in El Paso. USBP agents arrested two illegal aliens on Sept. 11 and noticed that one of the aliens possessed a cell phone that continuously received calls from a number originating in Mexico. A criminal complaint alleges that the cell phone led agents to a pick-up location where they met Rivera-Esparza, who had coordinated to transport illegal aliens further into the United States. Agents searched Rivera-Esparza’s vehicle and allegedly discovered a loaded handgun and an unknown amount of money in the center console. Agents also seized an additional $1,921 that Rivera-Esparza allegedly obtained by smuggling and transporting illegal aliens. Rivera-Esparza was convicted in April 2024 for a state charge of smuggling of persons and sentenced to five years in jail.
In Austin, Honduran national Jose Orellana Espana was taken into ICE custody after being encountered at the Travis County Jail. He had been arrested and charged with assault causing bodily injury to a family member and unlawful restraint. Espana was previously convicted in 2017 of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful restraint.
Ricardo Quiroz-Rincon, a Mexican national, was also encountered at the Travis County Jail where he had been charged with assault causing bodily injury. Quiroz-Rincon has been previously removed from the U.S. five times since 2009. He’s been twice convicted for improper entry by an alien, with three additional convictions for 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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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Nicaraguan Man Sentenced to over 5 Years in Federal Prison for Smuggling More Than 400 AliensRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A Nicaraguan national was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 63 months in prison for harboring and transporting over 400 illegal aliens between October 2023 and February 2024.
According to court documents, Jose David Betanco-Ramirez, 37, conspired with two other individuals to transport and harbor approximately 20 illegal aliens per week for approximately five months. In June 2024, San Antonio Police Department officers investigated a report of human trafficking and sexual assault at a San Antonio address. Upon arrival, officers confirmed that the residence was being used as a stash house for human smuggling and observed the woman who matched the description in the sexual assault report. In a bedroom with the victim, the officers located Betanco-Ramirez. In a separate room, they located co-conspirators Leomar Jose Mendoza-Amador, of Nicaragua, and Rony Jose Gonzalez-Amaya, of Honduras, as well as another Nicaraguan national who was in the U.S. illegally. The residence was reported to be sparsely furnished but with numerous beds in the living room and throughout the house. A search warrant resulted in the recovery of a bag containing nine cell phones.
The investigation revealed that the sexual assault victim had entered the U.S. illegally several days prior to the reported incident and was transported along with approximately 60 other undocumented aliens, including other women and children, in the back of a tractor trailer truck before they were shuffled between multiple stash houses. The victim also reported that on the first night in her final stash house, Betanco-Ramirez told the other males that she was “his” and that they were not to touch her. The following night, he sexually assaulted her for the first of two instances.
Betanco-Ramirez, Mendoza-Amador and Gonzalez-Amaya were each indicted on April 3, 2024, for one count of conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens and one count of harboring illegal aliens. Betanco pleaded guilty to both charges on April 8, 2025. His two co-defendants pleaded guilty to the alien smuggling charge. Mendoza-Amador and Gonzalez-Amaya were both sentenced to 51 months in federal prison earlier this year. U.S. District Court Judge Xavier Rodriguez presided over the court proceedings.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
ICE and the San Antonio Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Spears 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Honduran National Faces Minimum of 20 Years in Prison After Pleading Guilty to Multiple Armed Robberies in AustinRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – A Honduran national pleaded guilty in federal court this week to committing multiple armed robberies.
According to court documents, on Dec. 31, 2023, Christian Lopez-Burgos, 27, used a black-over-tan pistol during an attempted robbery of a fast-food restaurant on Interstate Highway 35 in Austin and a convenience store robbery on North Lamar Boulevard in Austin. From the convenience store, Lopez-Burgos and two other masked, armed males stole approximately $6,000 while Lopez-Burgos pointed his pistol at an employee working the cash register.
On Jan. 23, 2024, Lopez-Burgos was caught on security video driving the same vehicle from the two previous robberies as he and four co-conspirators robbed another convenience store on North Lamar Boulevard, brandishing firearms at two employees and stealing approximately $5,000 from the store’s cash register. Later that day, Lopez-Burgos arrived in his previously noted vehicle at a vape and smoke shop in San Marcos. He returned four days later, on January 27, 2024, with three other individuals to rob the business, stealing CBD and kratom items, as well as glass pipes, while one of the robbers pointed a shotgun at a store employee and ripped a necklace from the victim’s neck.
Lopez-Burgos was also identified as one of three individuals who robbed another convenience store on Lamar Boulevard in Austin on Feb. 3, 2024. In that robbery, Lopez-Burgos and a co-conspirator entered the store brandishing firearms while the third robber served as a lookout at the front door. Lopez-Burgos demanded money from the store employee in a check-cashing room and fired three rounds at the victim in response to an alarm being pressed beneath the employee’s desk. Two other employees in the store then provided approximately $3,000 to the robbers.
Lopez-Burgos was arrested in Houston on Feb. 15, 2024, after he attempted to evade police in the same vehicle with which he committed most of the string of armed robberies. A search of the vehicle resulted in the recovery of multiple articles of clothing and items both worn during the robberies and stolen from the robberies, including glass pipes and the necklace stolen from the vape and smoke shop employee. Searches of Lopez-Burgos’s phones revealed a photo of the black-over-tan handgun and internet searches related to robberies in Austin on Dec. 31, 2023.
Lopez-Burgos pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; two counts of Hobbs Act robbery; two counts of discharge of firearm in furtherance of crime of violence; and one count of brandishing of firearm in furtherance of crime of violence. He faces a mandatory minimum of 20 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 Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The FBI along with the Austin, San Marcos, and Houston Police Departments are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Keith Henneke, Thomas Parnham and Gabriel Cohen 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Texas Mexican Mafia Felon Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A Crystal City man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 180 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Mario Zavala, 39, was convicted for organized criminal activity with the Texas Mexican Mafia in August 2013. On Nov. 6, 2024, he was arrested on a warrant and admitted to possessing a loaded .40 caliber pistol in his residence. Additionally, Zavala had maintained his ties to the Texas Mexican Mafia and continued to distribute narcotics—namely cocaine and methamphetamine.
Zavala was indicted for one count of felon in possession of a firearm on Dec. 4, 2024, and he pleaded guilty March 5, 2025. U.S. District Judge Ernest Gonzalez presided over the court proceedings.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
ICE, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Zavala County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Ellis-Dotson prosecuted the case.
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Felon Charged with 7 Counts in Connection to Armed Robberies in AustinRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – A Kyle man made his initial appearance in federal court after being indicted for multiple alleged armed robberies that occurred in June and July.
According to court documents, Yael Williams Jr., 38, a convicted felon, allegedly used a firearm during robberies at a Subway restaurant and two 7-11 stores in Austin over the summer. An indictment alleges that, in the presence of store employees, Williams obtained U.S. currency and other property by means of actual and threatened force, violence, and fear of injury, by threatening the employees with a .22 caliber revolver.
Williams is charged with three Hobbs Act robberies, one count of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, two counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm by a felon. If Williams is convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The Austin Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Buie 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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Convicted Honduran Sexual Predator Sentenced in Del Rio for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A Honduran national was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 21 months in prison for illegal re-entry.
According to court documents, Neri Farid Ardon-Calix, 30, was found hiding in a railcar near Eagle Pass on Jan. 13. He had been previously deported from the U.S. in September 2023, following a conviction and two-year prison sentence for sexual assault of a child in Houston.
Ardon-Calix pleaded guilty on April 23. U.S. District Judge Ernest Gonzalez sentenced him on Sept. 11, remarking that Ardon-Calix was a danger to the community.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daisy Gonzalez 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Venezuelan Man Sex-Trafficked Illegal Aliens, Sentenced to Decade in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A Venezuelan national was sentenced in federal court today to 10 years in prison for two human trafficking charges and being an alien in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Edson Jose Contreras-Torrealba, 34, conspired with codefendant Eyleen Aular-Marin from February 2024 to Aug. 19, 2024, to recruit, entice, harbor, provide and transport multiple adult women, to provide sexual services for a fee in San Antonio. The victims were not free to leave Contreras-Torrealba’s apartment or the designated hotel rooms without permission from the co-conspirators, and they were required to work every day at all times of day and night. Additionally, Contreras-Torrealba always carried a 9mm pistol and was in possession of the handgun when he was arrested at a hotel in San Antonio on Aug. 19, 2024.
Contreras-Torrealba recruited one of the victims, an undocumented Venezuelan, over Facebook when she was living in Colombia. He provided money for the woman to travel from Colombia across the Mexico-U.S. border and once she was out of ICE detention in April 2024, Contreras-Torrealba harbored her in an apartment and told her she owed $30,000 for her travel debt. He instructed her to pay off the debt with proceeds from commercial sex. The victim facilitated up to 20 appointments per day for sexual intercourse for a fee, none of which went to the victim herself. Contreras-Torrealba charged the victim $50 per day to reside in the apartment as well as $50 for every prostitution appointment that required transportation. The victim was arrested twice in 2024, and Contreras-Torrealba added the cost of her bond to the debt she owed him.
A second victim, also an undocumented Venezuelan woman, lived in Dallas and was recruited over social media. Similar to the first victim, she was restricted to a hotel room and facilitated up to 25 appointments per day for sexual intercourse with no days off. Unlike the first victim, she split proceeds from sexual services with Contreras-Torrealba, keeping 30 percent.
“We cannot be a society that tolerates the commoditization of humans for the purposes of sex,” said Justin R. Simmons, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas. “If you intend to profit off of the sexual commoditization of humans, do not come to San Antonio, or anywhere else in the Western District of Texas because our law enforcement partners at the local, state and federal levels, are dedicated to ending the proliferation of human trafficking in San Antonio and throughout the District.”
“This sentencing of this international predator underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting those most vulnerable and combatting transnational criminal organizations,” said ICE HSI San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee. “This case highlights the critical importance of collaboration between our local partners to dismantle criminal networks that affect San Antonio and beyond. HSI will continue to prioritize the fight against human trafficking and gang to ensure justice is served. We thank our law enforcement partners and prosecutors for their dedication to this case.”
“This sentencing sends a clear message that human trafficking and organized criminal activity have no place in San Antonio,” said San Antonio Police Chief William McManus. “We will pursue justice relentlessly and continue our commitment to safeguarding victims, alongside our federal partners. The courage of those who came forward and the dedication of our investigators show what is possible when our community stands together against exploitation.”
Aular-Marin was sentenced on Sept. 3 to 70 months in prison. Another co-defendant, Ronayde Salazar-Garcia, who, for two weeks, served as a driver for the victims in the human trafficking scheme and helped ensure the victims did not leave their confined locations, is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 21..
ICE and the San Antonio Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia McNab 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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270 New Immigration Cases Added in Western District of Texas This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – United States Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced today that federal prosecutors in the district filed 270 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from Sept. 5 through 11.
Among the new cases, two individuals were arrested in El Paso on Sept. 4 after allegedly picking up illegal aliens approximately 10.6 miles east of the Fort Hancock Port of Entry. A criminal complaint alleges that the driver of the vehicle, Carlos Misael Soto-Lopez, lost control of his vehicle at a high rate of speed, causing the vehicle to roll multiple times. U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehended all seven individuals who were observed fleeing from the vehicle following the crash. Soto-Lopez and a second individual, Axel Arturo Rodriguez-Mata, were charged for transporting illegal aliens.
Mexican national Francisco Javier Mercado-Carrillo was charged with attempting to evade immigration laws by appearing under an assumed or fictitious name when applying for admission to the U.S. Mercado-Carrillo allegedly presented himself to a Customs and Border Protection Officer (CBPO) at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry with a counterfeit Texas Identification Card bearing the photograph, name, and date of birth, of another individual with the initials of J.D.E. After questioning Mercado-Carrillo, the CBPO referred him to Passport Control Secondary, where he allegedly admitted his true name, date of birth, and stated he was born in Coahuila, Mexico. Mercado-Carrillo has been previously removed from the U.S. three times, the last being on or about July 26.
Also in El Paso, Mexican national Jose Armando Rodriguez-Rincon was charged with illegal re-entry, having been most recently removed from the U.S. for the third time on Aug. 15. Rodriguez-Rincon was convicted in May 2024 for his second DWI and sentenced to 300 days confinement.
In San Antonio, Mexican national Jose Luis Giron-Zepeda was pulled over by Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) for allegedly speeding in a school zone on Sept. 9. DPS contacted ICE to inquire about Giron-Zepeda’s immigration status and learned he was in the country illegally. Records also indicated that Giron-Zepeda had been convicted in 2013 for transportation of illegal aliens.
Juan Leonardo Tovar-Ramirez, also a Mexican national, was taken into ICE custody in Austin after being convicted for his third DWI. Tovar-Ramirez was also convicted in 2020 for illegal re-entry, having been previously removed from the U.S. to Mexico in 2014.
Mexican national Luis Garcia-Rincon was taken into ICE custody at the Travis County Jail, where he was being confined for a DWI. He was removed from the U.S. in 2023 following convictions in Travis County for indecent assault and unlawful restraint.
Mexican national Jose Alejandro Gonzalez Balderaz was also taken into ICE custody this week, having been in the U.S. illegally and previously removed in 2019. In 2017, he was convicted for unlawful carrying of a weapon and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Dallas. His record also includes two DWI convictions.
In Eagle Pass, two Pakistani nationals were charged with improper entry. U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Jamshaid Iqbal Goraya and Talha Khalid on Aug. 27 after the two allegedly crossed the Rio Grande River and entered the U.S. illegally.
A twice deported Honduran national was also arrested in Eagle Pass. Jairo Moises Garcia-Castro was most recently deported on Nov. 6, 2024, after being convicted for his second DWI in Karnes County.
Alejandro Dominguez-Ortiz, a Mexican national, was arrested in Del Rio for illegal re-entry. He was convicted for sexual assault and sentenced to five years confinement in 2022. His sole deportation was in January 2024.
Mexican national Miguel Rosas-Rosendo was arrested in Del Rio on Sept. 7. With three prior removals, Rosas-Rosendo was convicted for illegal re-entry in 2024, and was convicted in 2023 for a state charge of smuggling of persons.
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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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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Western District of Texas Nears 300 New Immigration Cases to Start SeptemberRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – United States Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced today that federal prosecutors in the district filed 294 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from Aug. 29 through Sept. 4.
Among the new cases, four people were charged in El Paso for their roles in a scheme to smuggle children from Mexico into the United States, sometimes using candy laced with THC to sedate them during smuggling events. Mexican nationals Susana Guadian and Daniel Guadian; U.S. citizen Dianne Guadian; and Manuel Valenzuela, a lawful permanent resident residing in El Paso, were charged with conspiracy to transport aliens and bringing aliens to the United States for financial gain. According to the complaint, between on or about May 1 through Oct. 17, 2024, the defendants were part of an alien smuggling organization (ASO) that brought unaccompanied alien children between the ages of five and 13 illegally into the United States from Juarez, Mexico. The complaint alleges that Susana Guadian and Daniel Guadian recruited drivers to transport the children by car from Mexico to a port of entry at the U.S. border. The drivers and their co-conspirator would then present U.S. documents to inspecting officers falsely claiming the documents belonged to the children, and that they were the parents of the children. During at least one smuggling event, the alien children were given gummy candies containing marijuana to sedate them. One of the children was taken to a local hospital and later diagnosed with marijuana poisoning. Once inside the United States, the children were then transported to El Paso, where, according to the complaint, Dianne Guadian and Manuel Valenzuela would pick up the children and provide payment to the drivers. The drivers were paid $900 for each minor that they brought into the United States.
U.S. Border Patrol agents in Alpine arrested a Mexican national for being an illegal alien present in the United States. Ever Ortega-Uranga was previously removed for the second time in July 2021. Ortega-Uranga has multiple felony convictions, having been sentenced in Midland to two years confinement for cocaine possession in 2010, followed by three years for public order crimes in 2016. He was also sentenced in 2018 to 46 months confinement in Spring for illegal re-entry.
Otoniel Lopez-Tellez, a Mexican national, was taken into ICE custody in Williamson County, where he was serving a 40-day jail sentence for assault causing bodily injury to a family member. Lopez-Tellez has been removed from the U.S. twice, the last being in 2018, in addition to four voluntary returns.
Mexican national Juan Eduardo Villanueva-Mancilla was taken into ICE custody in Bastrop County, where he was serving a 180-day jail sentence for evading arrest with a vehicle. Villanueva-Mancilla has been removed from the U.S. twice, most recently in April 2023.
Angel Eduardo Moreno-De La Rosa was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents near Normandy on Aug. 27. The Mexican national was allegedly guiding two Pakistani illegal aliens to a pick-up location, where the two Pakistanis would then be transported to San Antonio. According to a criminal complaint, Moreno-De La Rosa claimed he would be paid $1,000 for his role, while the Pakistanis alleged that they paid around $30,000 each to be smuggled further into the U.S.
Mexican national Emanuel Ruiz-Alcantara was arrested near Maverick on Aug. 29 and charged with illegal re-entry after being previously removed to Mexico on Jan. 7. In August 2023, Ruiz-Alcantara was convicted for a smuggling of persons felony in Gonzalez, for which he was sentenced to two years in jail.
Cristian Jiovanni Chavez-Sanchez, also a Mexican national, was charged with illegal re-entry after he was arrested near Maverick on Aug. 26. Chavez-Sanchez has been twice deported, most recently in January through San Ysidro, California. In 2024, he was convicted of four misdemeanors in Utah, including a DUI, marijuana possession, and two weapon offenses.
Honduran national Brayan Alexander Villanueva was arrested near Val Verde on Aug. 30 and charged with illegal re-entry. Villanueva was just removed to Honduras through El Paso on June 28, after being convicted and sentenced in March to two years confinement for possession of a controlled substance. Villanueva was also convicted in 2022 for burglary of a vehicle in Georgetown.
Also in the Del Rio Sector, four Indian nationals—Vikash Vikash, Mehakpreet Singh, Aditya Sharma, and Harsh Singh—were each detained in separate incidents and charged with improper entry after they allegedly crossed the Rio Grande River into the U.S. near Eagle Pass between Aug. 28 and Aug. 30.
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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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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Laredo Weapons Trafficking Coordinator Pleads Guilty to Charges for Conspiring to Smuggle Military Grade Firearms to Mexican Drug CartelRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A Laredo man pleaded guilty in a federal court in San Antonio today to four conspiracy counts related to his role as the coordinator for a weapons trafficking organization that illegally obtained hundreds of firearms and smuggled them from the U.S. to Mexico in support of the Cartel Del Noreste (CDN).
According to court documents, Gerardo Rafael Perez Jr. aka Jerry, 24, and his network of straw purchasers illicitly obtained the firearms, including FNH SCAR rifles, Barrett .50 caliber rifles, FNH M249S rifles, M240s and M1919s, from gun stores and unlicensed dealers in San Antonio and other Texas cities. They also acquired FightLite MCR belt-fed upper receivers, which allow standard AR-15 lower receivers to use belt-fed ammunition and provide for a greater capacity of continuous fire before reloading. Perez directed the acquisition, trafficking, and illegal export of guns and parts in support of the cartel, all without an export license or a license to deal firearms.
Agents searched the cell phones of multiple straw purchasers of firearms who were receiving directions from Perez, revealing communications in which Perez sent instructions on specific guns to buy from specific sellers across Texas. On one occasion, a straw purchaser purchased six firearms for Perez in San Antonio with nearly $50,000 in cash, including three FN SCAR 17S 7.62 caliber rifles, an FN SCAR 20S 7.62 caliber rifle, an FN M249S belt-fed rifle 5.56 caliber, and a Barrett M82A1 .50 caliber rifle, all of which Perez acquired for the purpose of delivery to Mexico. Communications showed Perez telling another straw purchaser he was obliterating serial numbers from trafficked guns so there was no way the gun could be tracked to the original seller.
On Sept. 26, 2023, law enforcement conducted a search of Perez’s residence and recovered multiple firearms and various types of ammunition, blank ATF Form 4473s, and CDN jewelry. Agents seized and searched Perez’s cell phone and found photos depicting him in tactical gear and wearing CDN jewelry, as well as photos of numerous guns. His phone also contained messages in which Perez solicited firearms, coordinated their purchase, and negotiated prices with sellers.
Perez was arrested March 20, 2024, along with co-defendants Antonio Osiel Casarez, Luis Matias Leal, Francisco Alejandro Benavides Jr., and Mark Anthony Trevino Jr. Three other co-defendants, Gerardo Ibarra Jr., Gerardo Corona Jr., and Jose Emigdio Q. Mendoza were named in an earlier indictment and arrested in 2023. The ninth and tenth co-defendants, Armando Mata Jr., and Felipe Vasquez III, were charged in a superseding indictment and arrested in March 2025.
Perez pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to traffic firearms, conspiracy to straw purchase firearms, conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States, and conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He faces up to 25 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William Calve 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Four Charged in Conspiracy to Smuggle Children from MexicoRead the Press Release
Note: View a copy of the criminal complaint.
Four people were charged for their roles in a scheme to smuggle children from Mexico into the United States, sometimes using candy laced with THC to sedate them during smuggling events.
“This Department of Justice is investigating and prosecuting human smuggling more aggressively than ever before, and Joint Task Force Alpha is the tip of the spear,” said U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will not rest until those who profit from the suffering of vulnerable people — including many unaccompanied children — face severe, comprehensive justice.”
“These defendants allegedly risked the lives of children by using drug-laced candy to keep them quiet while being smuggled into the United States,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Targeting children in this way is especially dangerous and cruel. The Criminal Division is dedicated to safeguarding vulnerable populations and dismantling the for-profit smuggling networks that exploit them.”
“When these cartels and the Alien Smuggling Organizations with which they partner see children, they see dollar signs,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “This case shows that cartels and alien smuggling organizations care nothing for the wellbeing of the people they move into the United States. They only care about enriching themselves. In the Western District, we will muster all our resources to remove from society those who would profit off of the hopeless and helpless.”
“Every child placed in a smugglers hands is a life placed in danger,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason T. Stevens of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso. “These predators see desperation as an opportunity. To these criminals, vulnerable children as nothing more than currency-a means to turn human lives into profit. The smuggling of children is one of the most callous and reprehensible crimes HSI investigates, and we won’t stop pursuing those who profit by endangering young lives.”
Mexican nationals Susana Guadian and Daniel Guadian, both 50; Dianne Guadian, 32, a U.S. citizen; and Manuel Valenzuela, 35, a lawful permanent resident residing in El Paso, Texas, were charged in the Western District of Texas by a criminal complaint with conspiracy to transport aliens and bringing aliens to the United States for financial gain. Defendants Dianne Guadian and Manuel Valenzuela were arrested in El Paso on Aug. 30 and had their initial appearances on Sept. 2.
According to the complaint, between on or about May 1 through Oct. 17, 2024, the defendants were part of an alien smuggling organization (ASO) that brought unaccompanied alien children between the ages of five and 13 illegally into the United States from Juarez, Mexico. The complaint alleges that Susana Guadian and Daniel Guadian recruited drivers to transport the children by car from Mexico to a port of entry at the U.S. border. The drivers and their coconspirator would then present U.S. documents to inspecting officers falsely claiming the documents belonged to the children, and that they were the parents of the children. During at least one smuggling event, the alien children were given gummy candies containing marijuana to sedate them. One of the children was taken to a local hospital and later diagnosed with marijuana poisoning. Once inside the United States, the children were then transported to El Paso, where, according to the complaint, Dianne Guadian and Manuel Valenzuela would pick up the children and provide payment to the drivers. The drivers were paid $900 for each minor that they brought into the United States.
The investigation and indictment were supported by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the northern and southern borders. 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, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs (OIA), among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 410 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 355 U.S. convictions; more than 305 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
HSI El Paso and U.S. Border Patrol led investigative efforts, with substantial assistance from HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. and Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force.
Trial Attorney Bethany Allen of the Criminal Division’s HRSP and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Hines for the Western District of Texas 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
U.S. V. GUADIAN ET. AL., WESTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS, CASE NO: EP-25-M-04855-MAT, FILED 08/29/2025 U.S. V. GUADIAN ET. AL., WESTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS, CASE NO: EP-25-M-04855-MAT, FILED 08/29/2025 U.S. V. GUADIAN ET. AL., WESTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS, CASE NO: EP-25-M-04855-MAT, FILED 08/29/2025Armenian Man Indicted in Austin for Alleged Role in Conspiracy to Smuggle Goods to RussiaRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – An Armenian national made his initial appearance in a federal court in Austin today after he was indicted and extradited on charges related to an alleged export control conspiracy.
According to court documents, from February 2022 until at least August 2024, Kamo Kirakosyan and others allegedly participated in a criminal conspiracy to export goods, including items that can be used for semiconductor manufacturing, from the United States to the Russian Federation through the Republic of Armenia without the requisite license or authorization from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry & Security. Kirakosyan and his co-conspirators are also alleged to have violated the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) by engaging in transactions with and for the benefit of one or more entities on the Specially Designated Nationals list without the required licenses from the Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control.
The indictment alleges that Kirakosyan became the straw or substitute purchaser of 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. In May 2022, Kirakosyan allegedly sent a co-conspirator instructions on opening a bank account in Armenia for the purpose of evading sanctions. The indictment further alleges that, 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.
Kirakosyan is charged with one count of conspiracy to violate federal law; one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States; one count of attempted violation of the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA); on count of attempted smuggling; one count of violation of the ECRA; and one count of smuggling.
Kirakosyan was initially charged in a criminal complaint on or about July 31, 2024. He was extradited to the United States on Aug. 29, 2025, and made his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dustin Howell of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The FBI and the Bureau of Industry and Security of the U.S. Department of Commerce are investigating the case, with assistance from the FBI’s Legal Attaché in Berlin. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing Kirakosyan’s extradition to the United States.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Roomberg is prosecuting the case with assistance from Trial Attorney Emma Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
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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Austin Man Arrested for Alleged Sexual Exploitation of a Minor Through Social MediaRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – An Austin man was arrested Wednesday on criminal charges related to his alleged sexual exploitation of a minor.
According to court documents, Jonathan Ruiz-Correa, 29, allegedly using the name “Lucas” and claiming to be 17 years old, began chatting on Snapchat with a 14-year-old girl in May. A criminal complaint alleges that Ruiz-Correa knew the minor’s age and that their conversations included discussion of sexually explicit videos Ruiz-Correa wanted the minor to send him—which she eventually did. Ruiz-Correa also allegedly explored the possibility that he would pay for her to travel from out of state to meet him, and on two occasions, he used a PayPal account to send the minor money. Alleged chats between Ruiz-Correa and the minor also occurred on Instagram.
The minor victim allegedly learned the real age of Ruiz-Correa when she initiated a conversation with one of Ruiz-Correa’s female Instagram followers, who said he had been trying to talk to her as well. The girl sent the minor victim a video she had found on Ruiz-Correa’s alleged dating app profile.
As part of the investigation, agents seized a mobile phone containing a sexually explicit video of the minor victim. The phone also contained a video allegedly depicting sexual activity with another minor, whom Ruiz-Correa allegedly traveled to meet in Houston in January.
Ruiz-Correa is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of engaging in activities relating to material constituting or containing child pornography. If convicted, he faces 15 to 30 years in prison for the exploitation charge and five to 20 years in prison for the second count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Devlin is 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 www.justice.gov/psc.
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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234 Immigration Cases Added in Western District of Texas This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – United States Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced today that federal prosecutors in the district filed 234 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from Aug. 22 through 28.
Among the new cases, Mexican national Joel Guerrero-Sanchez was arrested in Medina County on Wednesday and charged with alien smuggling. Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) conducted a traffic stop on a tractor-trailer allegedly driven by Guerrero-Sanchez along I-35. The criminal complaint alleges that a search of the tractor and trailer revealed two illegal aliens hidden in a compartment inside the sleeper cab. If convicted, Guerrero-Sanchez faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
A Mexican national was taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody on Aug. 22 after being arrested in San Antonio for evading arrest with previous conviction. Juan Moreno Lopez faces an illegal re-entry charge after being previously removed from the U.S. four times in addition to four voluntary returns to Mexico. His extensive criminal record began with a burglary in 1988 and includes multiple convictions for evading arrest in San Antonio and Williamson County.
In Midland, Mexican national Orlando Everado Aguirre-Barra was federally charged with illegal re-entry. He was initially arrested by DPS on July 25 and had been previously removed from the United States in 2019 following a conviction for illegal re-entry. Aguirre-Barra was also convicted in Phoenix, Arizona in 2014 for criminal trespass and possession of a controlled substance, and in 2015 for burglary.
Samuel Josias Ruiz-Diaz, also a Mexican national, was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Del Rio. He’s charged with being an alien illegally present in the U.S., having been previously removed to Mexico in April. In 2022, Ruiz-Diaz was convicted for two separate DWI charges in Minnesota.
Also in Del Rio, a Fijian national in the U.S. on an immigration visa was arrested on an alien smuggling conspiracy charge. Viliame Fonolahi Ralulu was pulled over on Highway 277 south of Brackettville when U.S. Border Patrol agents allegedly observed a subject in the back seat look up then duck down in an attempt to conceal themselves. During an immigration inspection, two passengers were allegedly discovered in the back seat and determined to be illegally present in the U.S.
A Mexican national with a violent criminal record was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol and charged with illegal re-entry in El Paso. Frederico Bedolla-Bedolla has been removed from the U.S. four times and has been convicted in Arizona for two disorderly conduct charges for fighting and assault causing fear of physical injury, as well as domestic violence.
Justin Ross Meunier, a U.S. citizen with multiple felony convictions, was arrested for allegedly transporting three illegal aliens near the Tornillo Port of Entry. A criminal complaint alleges that U.S. Border Patrol agents observed Meunier’s vehicle stop near an orchard before three individuals emerged from hiding and boarded the vehicle. The agents approached and Meunier allegedly yelled in Spanish for the suspected aliens to get out and run. Meunier has been convicted for alien smuggling twice before, leading to 18 months of probation in 2019 and 21 months in prison in 2021.
U.S. Border Patrol agents also arrested Francisco Vidales-Aldaba for alien smuggling near the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry. An agent allegedly observed two individuals, appearing wet and muddy, exit a residence and flag down a vehicle, which they boarded. Vidales-Aldaba was identified as the driver, and all three individuals were found to be illegal aliens. A criminal complaint alleges that Vidales-Aldaba had been a foot guide to five illegal aliens on Aug. 23 and had smuggled in four to five illegal aliens at a time on 15 occasions between 2022 and 2024. Immigration records indicate he’s been granted 15 voluntary departures through El Paso, the last being on Dec. 11, 2023.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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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Former Barrio Azteca Leader Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison After Pleading Guilty to RICO ViolationRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – A Mexican national who served as a leader in the Barrio Azteca Criminal Enterprise was sentenced in court last week to 144 months in federal prison for a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO) offense.
According to court documents, Salvador Garcia-Garcia aka Ardilla, 56, of Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, was responsible for coordinating the shipment of heroin from Juarez to El Paso for the Barrio Azteca organization. Garcia-Garcia conducted the narcotics smuggling operations from Juarez from Aug. 1, 2010, through on or about Sept. 10, 2014, recruiting other members and associates to smuggle the heroin into El Paso for him.
On Sept. 10, 2014, Garcia-Garcia was indicted for seven counts, including conspiracy to conduct the affairs of an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity, murder in aid of racketeering activity, three separate drug trafficking charges, conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, and transferring a firearm to a prohibited person. He was arrested by federal authorities on June 20, 2024, and pleaded guilty to the RICO charge on April 7, 2025.
Eighteen of Garcia-Garcia’s co-defendants have been sentenced in the case since 2016. In June 2017, Barrio Azteca leader Juan Pablo Espino was dealt concurrent sentences of 299 months and 240 months imprisonment for one count of conspiracy to conduct the affairs of an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity and one count of money laundering.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the El Paso Police Department, and the Texas Department of Public Safety investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steve Spitzer and Antonio Franco prosecuted the case.
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Federal Jury Convicts Drug Trafficker of 4 Counts in Del RioRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A federal jury convicted a U.S citizen and Mexico City resident on all counts of an indictment that charged him with trafficking cocaine from Mexico into the United States.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Jordy Alexander Amaya, 27, 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 faces five to 40 years in federal prison on each of the four counts, as well as a fine of up to $5 million per count.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Warsame Galaydh and Tyler Fleming are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
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Austin Man Arrested for Threatening Presidential StafferRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – An Austin man was arrested Wednesday on criminal charges related to his alleged threats against a presidential staff member.
According to court documents, on the night of Aug. 25, Thomas Austria Crouse allegedly called the personal phone of an individual working for the President of the United States. When the call went to voicemail, Crouse left a recording in which he allegedly threatened to find the administration official, decapitate them, and kill the victim’s family. Given the violent nature of the voicemail and the references to the victim’s job as a presidential staffer, the voicemail was reported to the FBI. The criminal complaint alleges that further investigation revealed the phone call came from Austin. Crouse was identified as the caller.
The complaint alleges that during an Aug. 26 investigative interview with the FBI, agents urged Crouse to cease making direct threats, to which he agreed. After the interview, however, Crouse allegedly left a series of five new voicemails on the administration official’s phone telling the victim to commit suicide.
Crouse was arrested on Aug. 27 based on a criminal complaint accusing him of transmitting an interstate communication containing a threat to injure the person of another. If convicted, 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 Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The FBI, U.S. Secret Service, and Washington, D.C. Capitol Police are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Roomberg 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 Sentenced to over 6 Years in Federal Prison for Supplying Firearms to the Sinaloa CartelRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A Texas man was sentenced in federal court today to 78 months in prison for his role in a scheme to supply military-grade weapons to the Sinaloa Cartel.
According to court documents, Edgar Raul Moreno, 50, purchased approximately 10 firearms in 2020 and 2021 that were known to be highly desirable to Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTO). Additionally, Mexican law enforcement in Sinaloa, Mexico, recovered a belt-fed rifle that had been purchased by Moreno. In August 2021, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents observed Moreno arriving at a Federal Firearms Licensed (FFL) dealer in San Antonio, where he completed the transfer and took custody of an M249S belt-fed rifle. Moreno was pulled over by the San Antonio Police Department shortly thereafter.
During the investigation, Moreno stated that he had purchased around 20 firearms for the Sinaloa cartel within a year in exchange for $1,000-$1,400 per firearm purchased. The ATF determined that Moreno bought approximately 20 belt-fed rifles, six other rifles, five handguns, and two shotguns. To date, three rifles purchased by Moreno have been recovered in Mexico, and one pistol was recovered in California.
Moreno was arrested Aug. 23, 2021, and charged in a nine-count indictment Sept. 15, 2021. He pleaded guilty on March 28, 2025, to one count of making a false statement during purchase of a firearm.
“Funneling high-powered weapons to Mexican drug cartels threatens our national security and is inexcusable,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Firearms trafficking fuels violence on both sides of the border and empowers the cartels that poison our communities. Our office will continue to vigorously prosecute people who ‘lie and buy’ on behalf of cartels or anyone else.”
“This sentence underscores the serious consequences that come with illegally trafficking firearms, especially when those weapons are destined for violent criminal organizations like the Sinaloa Cartel,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel for the ATF Houston Field Division. “Straw purchasing is not a victimless crime—it fuels cartel violence, endangers communities on both sides of the border, and threatens national security. This case is a testament to the relentless efforts of our law enforcement partners at the federal, state, and local levels, who worked together to dismantle this dangerous pipeline and bring those responsible to justice.”
ATF investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Yuen prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
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Western District of Texas U.S. Attorney Adds 269 Immigration Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – United States Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced today that federal prosecutors in the district filed 269 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from Aug. 15 through 21.
Among the new cases, Mexican national Hector Garcia and Victor Rodriguez, a U.S. citizen, were arrested in Dilley on Aug. 16, when they were allegedly caught transporting five illegal aliens who were locked in metal compartments affixed to a pickup truck. A criminal complaint alleges that U.S. Border Patrol agents witnessed the pickup truck travel down roads and on routes utilized by human smugglers to avoid Border Patrol checkpoints. The truck driver’s driving behavior further raised the agents’ suspicion, and, as a result, agents conducted a traffic stop. The complaint alleges that Garcia was riding as a passenger in the vehicle and had an expired work visa. Rodriguez was allegedly the driver of the truck and told the agents that the keys to compartments affixed to the sides of the truck bed were at “the yard,” though, during a pat down search, agents found him to be in possession what appeared to be toolbox keys. Using those keys, the agents were able to unlock the compartments and allegedly discovered five individuals—all confirmed to be Mexican nationals illegally present in the U.S.—hidden inside. If convicted of alien smuggling as alleged in the complaint, Garcia faces up to 10 years in federal prison, while Rodriguez faces up to five.
Mexican national Santiago Esquivel Gonzalez was arrested and charged with one count of being an illegal alien in possession of firearm. A criminal complaint alleges he attempted to sell five firearms at a location in San Antonio on Aug. 19. Immigration records revealed Esquivel Gonzalez was in the U.S. illegally. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.
In El Paso, U.S. citizen Alberto Dovali-Gamboa was arrested after USBP agents allegedly observed multiple individuals breach the border fence and enter his vehicle. A criminal complaint alleges that Dovali-Gamboa disregarded an attempted investigatory traffic stop and ultimately was stopped after Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers deployed a tire deflation device. When his vehicle finally stopped, Dovali-Gamboa was placed under arrest by USBP and eight passengers—all determined to be illegal aliens—were allegedly observed laying down in the rear of his vehicle.
Joshua Magdaleno, also a U.S. citizen, was arrested on Aug. 17 after he was allegedly identified as the driver of a vehicle transporting four illegal aliens from Mexico, Guatemala, and Colombia. A DPS trooper had allegedly observed the four aliens breach the border fence and enter Magdaleno’s vehicle. A criminal complaint alleges that Magdaleno failed to yield to emergency lights and sirens, and that DPS had to perform a pit maneuver to immobilize the vehicle. According to the complaint, Magdaleno stated he had been recruited to pick up illegal aliens on the border through a post on Instagram.
A Mexican national was arrested during a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspection on a Union Pacific train. Mexican railroad security officers allegedly notified CBP officers that they had seen a person on one of the rail cars. A criminal complaint alleges that during the inspection, the CBP officers removed Francisco Alfredo Palacios-Guerrero from a grain hopper. Further investigation revealed that Palacios-Guerrero was previously removed from the U.S. four times, and had been convicted three times for illegal re-entry, three times for possession of narcotics, twice for battery, twice for presenting false identification, and once for an escape from jail.
A Honduran national was arrested near Maverick on Tuesday and charged with illegal re-entry. Marlon Gerardo Zavala-Garcia had been previously removed from the U.S. twice, the most recent being in January. He was convicted in Hondo on Nov. 12, 2024, for smuggling of persons and sentenced to 130 days confinement.
In Austin, a Salvadoran national was taken into federal custody after he had been arrested and booked in the Williamson County Jail. Rene Adalberto Jacinto-Rodriguez was convicted in 2009 for assault causing bodily injury of a family member and in 2010 for the aggravated felony of indecency with a child by sexual contact.
Jose Marvin Lopez-Sanchez, a Honduran national, was also taken into federal custody and charged with illegal re-entry in Austin. Lopez-Sanchez was previously removed in May 2024 after being convicted of assault causing bodily injury and criminal trespass. He was also convicted in 2023 for assault causing bodily injury of a family member and interfering with emergency request for assistance.
Mexican national Vicente Rodriguez-Santos was transferred into federal custody from the Travis County Jail where he had been booked for his third DWI arrest. Rodriguez-Santos was previously removed from the U.S. in 2018. In addition to the prior DWI convictions, he was convicted in August 2016 for criminal trespass, in October 2016 for theft property, and in 2017 for possession of a controlled substance.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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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San Antonio Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening President TrumpRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO– The San Antonio man who was charged with making threats against the President last month pleaded guilty in federal court today.
According to court documents, Robert Herrera, 52, commented on a San Antonio news outlet’s July 10 Facebook post pertaining to President Donald Trump’s planned visit to the Texas Hill Country in the aftermath of deadly floods. Using the handle, “Robert Herrer,” Herrera commented, “I won’t miss,” along with a photo depicting President Trump surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents immediately after the July 13, 2024 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. A separate Facebook user replied to “Robert Herrer” stating, “you won’t get the chance, I promise,” to which Herrera responded, “I’ll just come for you.” Accompanying that statement, Herrera posted a photo of an assault rifle and loaded magazines. He was arrested that same day.
Herrera pleaded guilty to one count of threat against the President of the United States and faces up to five years in prison along with a maximum $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The U.S. Secret Service, FBI, and San Antonio Police Department are investigating the case with assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Roomberg and Kelly Stephenson are prosecuting the case.
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Mexican National Found Guilty in Waco for Registration ViolationsRead the Press Release
WACO, Texas – A Mexican national was found guilty in a federal bench trial in Waco on Monday. Hugo Moreno-Mendez, 41, was sentenced to time served for one count of willful failure to register and one count of failure to provide DNA.
According to court documents, Moreno-Mendez was convicted of a state crime for unlawful installation of a tracking device on Sept. 26, 2024, and was sentenced to 180 days of confinement. He was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on March 13, and charged with willful failure to register. Moreno-Mendez refused to comply with immigration officers and the standard procedures of submitting fingerprints and a DNA sample, adding the second count for failure to provide DNA. He has remained in federal custody since his arrest in March and will now be processed for removal.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
ICE investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Smith-Burris 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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232 New Immigration Cases This Week in the Western District of TexasRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – United States Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 232 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from Aug. 8 through 14.
Two Mexican nationals were arrested in Seguin on Aug. 8, when they were caught allegedly transporting 137 kgs of methamphetamine and 7.5 kgs of heroin. A Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office K9 deputy conducted a traffic stop on Roberto Moreno-Rangel and Martin Gomez-Cisneros near the intersection of Highway 90 and Interstate Highway 10. After the two individuals allegedly provided conflicting stories to the deputy, the K9 conducted an open-air sniff inspection of the vehicle and allegedly alerted to the presence of illegal narcotics on the rear driver side fender well area of the vehicle. Further investigation of the vehicle allegedly revealed 48 bundles concealed in an aftermarket compartment. 47 of the bundles were allegedly found to contain methamphetamine, while the remaining bundle allegedly contained heroin. Charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, Moreno-Rangel and Gomez-Cisneros each face 10 years to life in prison, if convicted.
Among the new cases, Mexican national Heriberto Monsivais Lopez aka Erik Lopez, was arrested in San Antonio as part of an investigation into firearms trafficking to Mexico. On Wednesday, Homeland Security Investigations agents, along with officers from the Texas Department of Public Safety (TX DPS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, allegedly observed Monsivais Lopez sell two 9mm pistols and 28.93 g of suspected cocaine. He was previously removed from the U.S. to Mexico on March 14, 2019. Monsivais Lopez is charged with one count of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years imprisonment.
Salvadoran national Samuel Chulo-Aguilar was charged with illegal re-entry in Del Rio, having been previously deported in 2012 through Phoenix, Arizona. In 2007, Chulo-Aguilar was sentenced to six years in prison following a conviction in Los Angeles, California, for lewd acts with a child under 14.
In Austin, Honduran national Jose Carcamo-Santos was taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after he was arrested during a traffic stop by TX DPS on Aug. 9. Carcamo-Santos is charged with illegal re-entry and has been removed from the U.S. seven times between 2004 and 2022. He’s been thrice convicted for illegal re-entry and has three other convictions for controlled substance charges.
Rosell Bladimir Ortiz-Garcia, also a Honduran national, was arrested and charged with illegal re-entry in Eagle Pass. Ortiz-Garcia has been deported seven times, the last one being on Feb. 26, after being convicted for assault causing bodily injury.
Victor Aaron Vargas-Leon, a Mexican national, was arrested near El Indio on Aug. 10 and charged with transporting illegal aliens. A criminal complaint alleges that Border Patrol agents found three illegal aliens and another deceased individual in the brush. Vargas-Leon was allegedly determined to be a foot guide for the group.
In El Paso, Mexican national Victor Hugo Lopez-Murillo was allegedly found in a storm drain just over a mile west of the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry. He is charged with illegal re-entry, having been previously removed from the U.S. four times, the last time being in February following a felony conviction for trespassing in a habitation.
Mexican national Jorge Santillan-De La Cruz was arrested in El Paso and charged with illegal re-entry after he allegedly applied for admission into the U.S., presenting himself as a U.S. citizen who had lost his documents in Mexico. Customs and Border Protection officers found that Santillan-De La Cruz had previously been removed from the U.S. for the fourth time in March. Additionally, he has been convicted five times for theft and burglary offenses and twice for illegal re-entry.
Raul Robledo, a U.S. citizen, was charged with conspiracy to transport illegal aliens after allegedly being observed acting as a look-out during a failed alien smuggling scheme in El Paso on Aug. 4. A criminal complaint alleges that, during the scheme, Border Patrol agents responded to subjects exiting a storm drain and observed multiple vehicles suspected of being involved in the smuggling operation. One subject was allegedly observed lifting the storm drain grate, then dropping it, injuring a female subject who was later transported to a hospital with finger amputations and a head injury. Border Patrol agents located four additional illegal aliens inside the storm drain. Further investigation revealed that Robledo had allegedly fled the scene and had served as a look-out on three other occasions.
Mexican national Luis Heriberto Baca-Baca was arrested while crossing the Rio Grande River with nine other individuals determined to be in the U.S. illegally. Baca-Baca allegedly served as the foot guide for the group and had been observed entering the U.S. illegally with a group of 14 individuals the day prior.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Texas Mexican Mafia Leader Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A Texas Mexican Mafia gang leader was sentenced today to 25 years in federal prison for his role in a meth trafficking conspiracy.
According to court documents, David Botello, aka Torito, aka Bully, aka Bully-Man, 54, of San Antonio, was a “lieutenant of lieutenants” in the Texas Mexican Mafia throughout the course of a Drug Enforcement Administration-led investigation that began in July 2020. On or about July 28, 2020, Botello was arrested by San Antonio Police during a traffic stop after officers discovered he was driving without a license. Botello was also found to be in possession of approximately 150 grams of methamphetamine, nine new cell phones, and $585. Further investigation revealed Botello was conspiring with other members of the Texas Mexican Mafia to possess and distribute large quantities of methamphetamine.
On April 21, 2021, Botello was charged in three counts of a 14-count indictment that included 11 co-defendants. Along with two charges related to meth trafficking, Botello was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. He had previously been convicted for murder and aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon.
Botello pleaded guilty on Dec. 11, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine.
“This investigation demonstrates our office's commitment to dismantling criminal organizations in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “As a leader of the Texas Mexican Mafia, Botello was responsible for the distribution of large quantities of methamphetamine in San Antonio, enriching himself and his fellow gang members to the detriment of so many of our fellow citizens. We are thankful for the outstanding collaboration of our federal, state and local partners in this case, which coalesced around the common cause of bringing this murderer and gang member to justice. In the Western District of Texas, this is what we do.”
The DEA, FBI, San Antonio Police Department’s Gang Unit, Bexar County Sheriff’s Department, Bexar County District Attorney’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Department of Criminal Justice-Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Yuen 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Texas Man Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in Federal Prison for Dealing MethRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A Frio County man was sentenced in federal court to 235 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Joe Corona, 34, sold a package containing 486 grams of pure methamphetamine for $2,850 on March 3, 2021. Drug Enforcement Administration agents and Frio County Sheriff’s Office deputies executed a search warrant at Corona’s residence on April 23, 2021, discovering 67.7 grams of pure methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and a .38 caliber revolver, .38 special ammunition, and a box of .357 magnum ammunition. Further investigation revealed that Corona had worked for a drug trafficking organization, transporting methamphetamine from Mexico into the U.S., and was paid $1,500 per trip.
Corona was originally arrested on state charges by the Texas Department of Public Safety on Sept. 28, 2021. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on Oct. 20, 2021, and transferred into federal custody on Jan. 25, 2022. Corona pleaded guilty to a superseding information on May 9, 2025, and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jason K. Pulliam on Aug. 13.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Frio County Sheriff’s Office and Texas Department of Public Safety investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Spears 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Honduran National Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Role in International Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Honduran national was sentenced today to over 18 years in prison for participating in an international drug trafficking conspiracy.
“Working with Belizean authorities, the Justice Department dismantled a major international drug trafficking operation before more than a ton of cocaine could be transported internationally,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Transnational criminal networks that move vast quantities of narcotics pose a direct threat to the safety and health of the American people. Through strong coordination with our foreign partners, we continue to attack the problem before narcotics cross our borders.”
“This case is proof that there is no safe haven for those who poison our communities from abroad,” said Administrator Terrance Cole of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “A ton of cocaine was stopped before it could ever reach our streets, and a key player in that operation will now spend years behind bars. DEA will continue to hunt down cartel operatives wherever they are — from remote airstrips to the highest levels of their networks — and we will bring them to justice.”
According to court documents, Carlos Humberto Henriquez Gomez, 57, of San Pedro Sula, Honduras, was a member of a transnational drug trafficking organization that used a U.S.-registered aircraft to transport more than a ton of cocaine from Venezuela to Belize.
Henriquez Gomez played a key role in planning and carrying out the operation. In 2018, he traveled to Belize to inspect a clandestine airstrip for suitability to land a narcotics-laden aircraft. In 2019, he returned to prepare the airstrip for arrival, then assisted in offloading the cocaine for transport within Belize. Authorities intercepted the aircraft and a vehicle carrying the narcotics, seizing more than 1,300 kilograms of cocaine.
The DEA Orlando District Office investigated the case. The Belize Police Department’s Anti-Narcotics Unit and DEA Belize provided critical assistance. Henriquez Gomez’s capture and transfer to Washington, D.C., were made possible thanks to key coordination between U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
Trial Attorneys Douglas Meisel and Colleen King of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Former High School Coach Pleads Guilty to Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – Kenneth Wayne Mulkey, a former high school teacher and coach in Sabinal, pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.
According to court documents, on Oct. 11, 2024, Kenneth Wayne Mulkey, 43, used the social media application Snapchat to ask another user for their age, sex and location. After the user identified themselves as a 14-year-old boy living in Orlando, Florida, Mulkey stated that he was a 40-year-old football and track coach. Mulkey then requested a sexually explicit photo of the minor. According to the geolocation information contained within Mulkey’s cell phone, Mulkey was within 40 meters of Sabinal High School at the time he sent these initial messages. The following day, Mulkey sent a sexually graphic photo of himself to the user. Mulkey asked questions and volunteered information to the minor that was sexually explicit in nature. He was arrested Jan. 31.
Mulkey faces 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.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case, with assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Orlando and the Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nallely Duarte and Ekua Assabill 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 www.justice.gov/psc.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Starts August with 231 New Federal Immigration Cases in the Western District of TexasRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – United States Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 231 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from Aug. 1 through 7.
Among the new cases, an Ecuadorian national was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Eagle Pass and charged with illegal re-entry. The defendant, Christian Patricio Murillo-Orellana, was previously deported to Ecuador on April 22 through Alexandria, Louisiana. Murillo-Orellana is a convicted felon, sentenced in 2024 to 195 days confinement for unlawful possession of a weapon and simple assault in Plainfield, New Jersey.
A Honduran national with a prior felony conviction was also arrested by USBP and charged with illegal re-entry in Eagle Pass. Leo Dan Olivera-Hernandez was previously deported to Honduras on Nov. 8, 2024. He was convicted in March 2022 for first degree burglary in Raleigh, North Carolina and sentenced to 44-65 months in prison.
In El Paso, Mexican national Isreal Garcia-Ibarra was arrested and charged with illegal re-entry after he was located nearly five miles east of the Ysleta Port of Entry. Garcia-Ibarra was previously removed to Mexico for the second time on April 5 through Nogales, Arizona, following a March conviction for domestic battery in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Jorge Alberto Lopez-Casique, also a Mexican national, was allegedly found trying to hide in the Chihuahuita Park near the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry on Wednesday, Aug. 6, after being deported from the U.S. to Mexico on July 21 through Del Rio. Prior to that removal, on June 20, Lopez-Casique was convicted in Dallas and sentenced to six months confinement for two felonies—theft from person and kidnapping.
Multiple illegal aliens were arrested this week for charges related to alleged human smuggling schemes involving storm drains. In one case, Andres Castaneda-Luna was one of seven illegal aliens who El Paso Police officers allegedly observed exiting a storm drain on Aug. 1. According to a criminal complaint, Castaneda-Luna has worked with an alien smuggling organization as a foot guide for approximately two years and, on this occasion, was smuggling a group of illegal aliens through the storm drain tunnel for $100 per person. Immigration records indicate Castaneda-Luna had been granted a voluntary return out of the U.S. on Oct. 30, 2023.
On Aug. 4, USBP agents allegedly observed two individuals attempting to pry open a grate connected to a storm drain a mile and a half east of the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry in El Paso. A criminal complaint alleges that the individuals were identified as Javier Obregon-Flores and Jorge Solis-Soto, and both were determined to be Mexican nationals. The complaint alleges that Obregon-Flores became combative with the agents and attempted to flee on foot toward Mexico. Both were placed under arrest and charged with human smuggling conspiracy. The complaint alleges that Obregon-Flores and Solis-Soto were working with a smuggler and worked together with the intent of cutting rebar to further facilitate smuggling of illegal aliens.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Illegal Aliens with Violent Histories, Multiple DWIs Sentenced in AustinRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – Multiple violent offenders in the U.S. illegally were sentenced to federal prison in Austin this week.
Nery Flores-Flores, of Mexico, was sentenced to 65 months in prison for illegal re-entry. Flores-Flores was arrested by the Kinney County Sheriff’s Office on Dec. 9, 2024, for criminal trespass and evading arrest near Brackettville. He was remanded into federal custody on Feb. 21 and pleaded guilty May 12. Flores-Flores had previously been removed from the U.S. four times and granted two voluntary returns. He has also prior convictions for illegal re-entries, felon in possession of a firearm, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, domestic violence/battery, and grand theft auto.
Mexican national Angel Mireles-Maldonado was sentenced to 51 months after he was encountered at the Travis County Jail in October 2024. He had been arrested and convicted for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and sentenced to 10 months. Prior to that, he had been convicted of three DWIs and assault causing bodily injury. Additionally, Mireles-Maldonado has been convicted of illegal re-entry twice before and removed from the U.S. four times.
Angel Navarro-Miranda, also a Mexican national, was sentenced to 12 months and one day for illegal re-entry. He was encountered at the Travis County Jail on March 12 after being arrested for DWI, collision involving damage. Prior to his arrest in March, Navarro-Miranda had been convicted of DWI four times between August 2000 and May 2009. He had previously been removed from the U.S. in September 2010.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Fort Bliss Soldier Arrested, Charged with Espionage and Export ViolationsRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – An active-duty soldier stationed at Fort Bliss was arrested today in El Paso on criminal charges of attempted transmission of national defense information to a foreign adversary and attempted export of controlled technical data without a license.
According to court documents, Taylor Adam Lee, 22, holds a Top Secret (TS) / Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) security clearance. From approximately May 2025 through the present, Lee sought to establish his U.S. Army credentials and send U.S. defense information to Russia’s Ministry of Defense. In June 2025, Lee allegedly transmitted export-controlled technical information on the M1A2 Abrams Tank online and offered assistance to the Russian Federation, stating, “the USA is not happy with me for trying to expose their weaknesses,” and added, “At this point I’d even volunteer to assist the Russian federation when I’m there in any way.”
In July, at an in-person meeting between Lee and who he believed to be a representative of the Russian government, Lee allegedly passed an SD card to the individual. Lee proceeded to provide a detailed overview of the documents and information contained on the SD card, including documents and information on the M1A2 Abrams, another armored fighting vehicle used by the U.S. military, and combat operations. Several of these documents contained controlled technical data that Lee did not have the authorization to provide. Other documents on the SD card were marked as Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and featured banner warnings and dissemination controls. Throughout the meeting, Lee stated that the information on the SD card was sensitive and likely classified.
During and after the July meeting, Lee discussed obtaining and providing to the Russian government a specific piece of hardware inside the M1A2 Abrams tank. On July 31, 2025, Lee delivered what appeared to be the hardware to a storage unit in El Paso. After doing so, Lee sent a message to the individual he believed to be a representative of the Russian government stating, “Mission accomplished.”
Lee was arrested Wednesday morning and made his initial appearance in federal court the same day.
“National security has long been one of the highest priorities of the Justice Department, and here in the Western District of Texas, we remain alert for those who wish to help our adversaries and harm the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Our enemies, both foreign and domestic, should be aware that we diligently investigate and aggressively prosecute these cases. I appreciate the investigative work by our partners in the FBI and the Army Counterintelligence Command, and I look forward to continuing our work with them as we proceed with the prosecution of this important case.”
“Lee allegedly violated his duty to protect the United States in favor of providing national defense information to the Russian government,” said Steven J. Jensen, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “The FBI is steadfast in our commitment to protect U.S. national security and bring to justice those who seek to undermine it.”
“The men and women of the United States military work hard to defend American citizens at home and abroad,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Britton Boyd for the FBI El Paso Field Office. “Today the men and women of the FBI were able to help protect our brave soldiers from future threats with the arrest of Taylor Adam Lee. I would like to thank our partners from the Department of Defense and FBI Washington Field Office.”
“This arrest is an alarming reminder of the serious threat facing our U.S. Army,” said Brigadier General Sean F. Stinchon, the commanding general of Army Counterintelligence Command. “Thanks to the hard work of Army Counterintelligence Command Special Agents and our FBI partners, Soldiers who violate their oath and become insider threats will absolutely be caught and brought to justice, and we will continue to protect Army personnel and safeguard equipment. If anyone on our Army Team sees suspicious activity, you must report it as soon as possible.”
The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating the case, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command and the FBI El Paso Field Office.
Trial Attorney Menno Goedman of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan Brown and Mallory Rasmussen for the Western District of Texas are 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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Active-Duty Soldier Arrested and Charged with Espionage and Export ViolationsRead the Press Release
Taylor Adam Lee, 22, of El Paso, Texas, was arrested today on charges of attempted transmission of national defense information to a foreign adversary and attempted export of controlled technical data without a license.
“According to the criminal complaint, the defendant sought to transmit sensitive national defense information to Russia regarding the operation of the M1A2 Abrams, our Nation’s main battle tank,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The National Security Division will continue to work with our law enforcement and military partners to ensure that such serious transgressions are met with serious consequences.”
“National security has long been one of the highest priorities of the Justice Department, and here in the Western District of Texas, we remain alert for those who wish to help our adversaries and harm the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Our enemies, both foreign and domestic, should be aware that we diligently investigate and aggressively prosecute these cases. I appreciate the investigative work by our partners in the FBI and the Army Counterintelligence Command, and I look forward to continuing our work with them as we proceed with the prosecution of this important case.”
“The FBI’s investigation revealed Taylor Lee allegedly attempted to provide classified military information on U.S. tank vulnerabilities to a person he believed to be a Russian intelligence officer in exchange for Russian citizenship,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “Today’s arrest is a message to anyone thinking about betraying the U.S. – especially service members who have sworn to protect our homeland. The FBI and our partners will do everything in our power to protect Americans and safeguard classified information.”
“This arrest is an alarming reminder of the serious threat facing our U.S. Army,” said Brigadier General Sean F. Stinchon, the commanding general of Army Counterintelligence Command. “Thanks to the hard work of Army Counterintelligence Command Special Agents and our FBI partners, Soldiers who violate their oath and become insider threats will absolutely be caught and brought to justice, and we will continue to protect Army personnel and safeguard equipment. If anyone on our Army Team sees suspicious activity, you must report it as soon as possible.”
“Lee allegedly violated his duty to protect the United States in favor of providing national defense information to the Russian government,” said Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “The FBI is steadfast in our commitment to protect U.S. national security and bring to justice those who seek to undermine it.”
According to court documents, Lee is an active-duty service member in the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Bliss, and holds a Top Secret (TS) / Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) security clearance. From approximately May 2025 through the present, Lee sought to establish his U.S. Army credentials and send U.S. defense information to Russia’s Ministry of Defense. In June 2025, Lee allegedly transmitted export-controlled technical information on the M1A2 Abrams Tank online and offered assistance to the Russian Federation, stating, “the USA is not happy with me for trying to expose their weaknesses,” and added, “At this point I’d even volunteer to assist the Russian federation when I’m there in any way.”
In July, at an in-person meeting between Lee and who he believed to be a representative of the Russian government, Lee allegedly passed an SD card to the individual. Lee proceeded to provide a detailed overview of the documents and information contained on the SD card, including documents and information on the M1A2 Abrams, another armored fighting vehicle used by the U.S. military, and combat operations. Several of these documents contained controlled technical data that Lee did not have the authorization to provide. Other documents on the SD card were marked as Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and featured banner warnings and dissemination controls. Throughout the meeting, Lee stated that the information on the SD card was sensitive and likely classified.
During and after the July meeting, Lee discussed obtaining and providing to the Russian government a specific piece of hardware inside the M1A2 Abrams tank. On July 31, 2025, Lee delivered what appeared to be the hardware to a storage unit in El Paso, Texas. After doing so, Lee sent a message to the individual he believed to be a representative of the Russian government stating, “Mission accomplished.”
The FBI Washington and El Paso Field Offices are investigating the case, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command.
Trial Attorney Menno Goedman of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan Brown and Mallory Rasmussen for the Western District of Texas and are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
San Angelo Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 80 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of 2 MinorsRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Angelo man was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 80 years in prison for the sexual exploitation of two children while being required to register as a sex offender. U.S. District Judge Jason Pulliam handed down the sentence.
According to court documents, Carlos Julian Ruiz, 29, was required to register as a sex offender for sexually assaulting a child in 2013. He was identified in January 2023 as one of three individuals involved in a mobile messaging app group dedicated to the sexual exploitation of children, and who was sexually assaulting and exploiting numerous female children, including a seven-year-old girl. Ruiz shared several images of the girl in the group chat, and an investigation determined that Ruiz had sexually assaulted her on numerous occasions between Sept. 1, 2022, and Jan. 13, 2023.
FBI agents learned through their investigation that Ruiz also befriended the parents of two girls, ages three and two, when the three-year-old was an infant. Ruiz routinely spent extended periods of time alone with both children and sexually assaulted them. According to Ruiz’s plea agreement, he agreed to provide his co-defendant, Trevor Metterhauser, with access to one of the girls for the purpose of sexual assault and production of child sexual abuse material. Metterhauser was allegedly a member of the mobile messaging group and currently awaits trial in a separate case in New York and has not yet appeared in federal court within the Western District of Texas.
In December 2022, Ruiz transported both girls from their home in the Northern District of Texas to a hotel in San Antonio, where he allegedly met Metterhauser, who had flown in from New Jersey with supplies he intended to use to facilitate the sexual assaults of the children, including Oxycodone. Ruiz filmed Metterhauser’s acts of sexual abuse with a video camera.
Ruiz was arrested in February 2023 and charged in both the Western District of Texas and the Northern District of Texas with a total of five counts: one count in each district for sexual exploitation of children and one count in the Western District of Texas for aiding and abetting the sexual assault of a child. He pleaded guilty to the first four counts in November 2024.
“Those who use children for their own twisted sexual gratification will not walk free in the Western District of Texas,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. “Here in the Western District, we will aggressively and consistently push back against this darkness that has, sadly, become so prevalent in our society. I want to thank our law enforcement partners who helped bring Ruiz to justice, and I want to thank our colleagues in the Northern District of Texas for their work on this case.”
“A violent offender who committed unspeakable and abhorrent crimes against children has been brought to justice, thanks to the exceptional work of FBI Albany, FBI Dallas, and the FBI San Antonio Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force,” said the FBI Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp. “Multiple victims have been rescued, and the FBI remains unwavering in its commitment to work in close partnership with law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to protect children and pursue those who prey on our most vulnerable.”
The FBI’s Field Offices in San Antonio, Dallas and Albany, New York, investigated the case with assistance from the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Leander Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – A Leander man was sentenced in an Austin federal court on Friday to 37 months in prison for wire fraud resulting in the loss of approximately $1 million.
According to court documents, Nicholas Keith Bonneville, 25, convinced his victims that he was a successful foreign exchange trader who would use his own funds to match clients’ investments, dollar-for-dollar, up to $100,000 to help their portfolios grow faster. The FBI’s investigation resulted in the identification of more than 100 victims. In one instance, Bonneville falsely claimed to have turned an investment of $50,000 into $1 million—an approximate 2,000% return on investment—in less than a year through foreign exchange trading.
A review of Bonneville’s bank records confirmed that Bonneville used the money from his victims to pay personal expenses and repay other victims. Bonneville did not engage in foreign exchange trading as he had promised.
Bonneville was arrested in February and charged with one count of wire fraud. He pleaded guilty to the charge on May 15. In addition to the over three years imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman ordered Bonneville to pay $575,450.30 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Harding prosecuted the case.
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Convicted Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Procurement of Citizenship or NaturalizationRead the Press Release
According to court documents, naturalized U.S. citizen Carlos Fabian Velez, 54, of San Antonio, plead guilty to 1 count of Unlawful Procurement of Citizenship or Naturalization for knowingly making false, sworn statements on his naturalization application, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1425(a). Specifically, in response to the question “Have you ever committed a crime or offense for which you were not arrested” on his Application for Naturalization, Velez answered, “No”, when in fact, as he then knew, he had committed the crime and offenses of possession, receipt and distribution of child pornography in San Antonio, Texas since at least 2014.
The guilty plea comes after VELEZ previously plead guilty to Distribution of Child Pornography and was sentenced to 210 months in prison. By pleading guilty to Unlawful Procurement of Citizenship charge, Velez is now subject to mandatory denaturalization. U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The FBI’s Field Office in San Antonio, ICE-Homeland Security Investigations, US Citizen and Immigration Services-Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate (USCIS-FDNS) and Bexar County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Fidel Esparza III is 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 www.justice.gov/psc.
176 Immigration Cases Filed in the Western District of Texas This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas Justin R. Simmons announced today that federal prosecutors in the district filed 176 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from July 24 through July 31, 2025.
In one such case, Texas Department of Public Safety Troopers requested assistance from El Paso Border Patrol Agents after receiving information from a concerned citizen about an apartment possibly being used to house illegal aliens. After agents arrived at the residence to perform an investigatory inquiry, an individual later identified as Jose Alfredo MACIAS-Mendoza answered the door and the agents encountered a total of 12 individuals in the apartment. All 12 individuals stated they were in the United States illegally. It was determined that MACIAS was being paid by an organization to oversee and harbor the illegal aliens and he was charged with alien smuggling. Records reveal that MACIAS himself had previously been deported from El Paso to Mexico on April 19, 2024.
Jose REYNA-Aguilera was encountered at the El Paso County Detention Facility by a Deportation Officer assigned to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Criminal Apprehension Program. Record checks revealed that REYNA is a citizen and national of Mexico without immigration documents allowing him to remain in the United States. REYNA’s immigration records established that he had been removed from the United States to Mexico on three prior occasions and was previously convicted of illegal reentry in October 2009 and April of 2011.
Deportation Officers encountered Daniel NAVA-Morales at the El Paso County Detention Facility. Immigration records reveal that he was illegally in the country having first been removed from the U.S. to Mexico on August 4, 1998. That removal order has been re-instated 6 times with NAVA last being removed to Mexico on January 18, 2024. His criminal history includes convictions for illegal entry in 1999 and 2021, where he was sentenced to 3 years probation each time, and impersonating a United States Citizen, where he was sentenced to 11 months imprisonment in 2007. He is being charged once again with illegal reentry.
In Del Rio, Texas, Azaraias Prudencio ALVARADO-Almendarez, a Honduran national who had previously been convicted of a sex offense against a child in Florida, was charged with illegal reentry. ALVARADO has a criminal history beginning in 2007 with convictions for burglary and two “hit and runs,” one of which was a felony resulting in injury. ALVARADO has been deported 3 times, the last time being to Honduras on June 21, 2024.
El Salvadoran National Celso RIVAS-Gonzalez was arrested by Border Patrol Agents on July 26, 2025, for illegal reentry. RIVAS has two prior removals from the United States and a criminal history that includes aggravated sexual assault of a child in 2020, harassment in 2021, and felony indecency with a child - sexual contact in 2024. RIVAS has been deported twice, the last time being on February 19, 2025.
Katia Yolanda SOLANO-Alvarenga, a native and citizen of Honduras, was found 3.29 miles west of Paso Del Norte Port of Entry in El Paso, Texas without documents allowing entry or residence in the United States. SOLANO was previously deported on October 7, 2024. Additionally, SOLANO was convicted and confined for 300 days for assault causing bodily injury in Dallas Texas, on March 28, 2003.
Honduran citizen Marcos Josue BANEGAS-Castro was found at the 7300 block of Alameda Avenue in El Paso Texas. It was determined that he was in the United States illegally without immigration documents. It was further determined that BANEGAS had previously been deported to Honduras on March 14, 2025.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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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Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WACO, Texas – A Mississippi man was sentenced in federal court to 240 months in prison for distribution of child pornography, involving the sexual exploitation of a minor.
According to court documents, Foster Denzel Harris, aided and abetted by another, knowingly distributed and attempted to distribute visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct in violation of federal statute.
In 2022, the victim in this case reported to FBI that she had been exploited when she was 16 years old, and living in Killeen. Between 2016 and 2022, while using KiK social media application on her phone, Harris extorted $21,000 dollars from her, threatening to expose her if she didn’t pay.
“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that those who exploit children by distributing child sexual abuse material will be held fully accountable,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp. “The pain these victims silently endure is immeasurable, and the FBI will relentlessly pursue anyone who preys on them. We applaud the extraordinary courage of the victim in this case, whose fortitude to come forward enabled us to obtain a measure of justice and put a stop to the continues abuse. If you have information about child exploitation, contact your local FBI office or submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov.”
This 20-year sentence is the maximum sentence allowed under the statute. Harris was also ordered to pay $31,429.00 in restitution to the victim and placed on lifetime supervised release.
This case was investigated by the FBI San Antonio Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg 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 www.justice.gov/psc.
Venezuelan Man Arrested for Alleged Human Smuggling SchemeRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A Venezuelan national was arrested Sunday near Dilley on criminal charges related to his alleged involvement in a human smuggling conspiracy.
According to court documents, Alexander Jose Barrios aka Alexander Jose Barrios-Pena was pulled over on HWY 85 by a U.S. Border Patrol agent after the agent allegedly observed Barrios’s “heavily weighted down” vehicle swerve in and out of adjacent lanes and abruptly slow to approximately 45 MPH in a 70 MPH zone. A criminal complaint alleges that, upon the USBP agent activating his emergency lights, Barrios pulled off the highway and quickly stopped in the grass before several occupants ran out of the vehicle into the nearby brush. The agent immediately detained Barrios and the front passenger while the backup agent arrived and apprehended a female subject hiding in the backseat.
Barrios is charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens. If convicted, he faces 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.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The U.S. Border Patrol is investigating 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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 Arrested on Human Smuggling ChargesRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A Texas man was arrested Friday near Dilley on criminal charges related to his alleged human smuggling.
According to court documents, Derek Riojas was pulled over by a U.S. Border Patrol agent on IH-35. The agent had allegedly observed Riojas driving in a suspicious manner. When Riojas’s vehicle slowed down to come to a stop, the agent allegedly observed several subjects in the rear of the vehicle, and saw several subjects flee from the vehicle into nearby brush. The fleeing subjects were apprehended by backup USBP agents and were determined to be illegally present in the United States.
Riojas made his initial appearance today is charged with one count of transporting illegal aliens. If convicted, he faces 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.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The U.S. Border Patrol is investigating 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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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Mexican National Arrested Thursday in Waco for Failing to Possess RegistrationRead the Press Release
WACO, Texas – A Mexican national was arrested in Waco Thursday for failure to possess registration documents.
According to court documents, Noe Fermin Guerrero-Mendieta, 33, was allegedly located on July 24 by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Waco Fugitive Operations team without his required certificate of alien registration or alien registration receipt card. Upon his original apprehension by immigration authorities, Guerrero-Mendieta was granted an immigration bond and released from immigration custody. By federal law, he was required to, at all times, carry with him and have in his personal possession any certificate of alien registration or alien registration receipt card.
Guerrero-Mendieta was charged with one count of failure to possess a registration form and made his initial appearance in federal court Friday afternoon. If convicted, he faces up to 30 days 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 Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
ICE is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Frazier 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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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203 Federal Immigration Cases Added This Week in the Western District of TexasRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – United States Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 203 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from July 17 through July 24.
Among the new cases, Mexican national Pablo Alfredo Cazares-Carrion was turned over to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)/Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) on July 22. He had been in Bexar County Adult Detention Center since he was arrested April 13 for assault causing bodily injury to a family member. Cazares-Carrion was previously convicted for illegal re-entry in October 2017 and sentenced to 40 months in federal prison. He is again charged with illegal re-entry, facing up to 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
A Mexican national was arrested in Waco and charged with one count of failure to possess registration form. A criminal complaint alleges that Noe Fermin Guerrero-Mendieta was located on July 24 by the ICE Waco Fugitive Operations team without his required certificate of alien registration or alien registration receipt card. Upon his original apprehension by immigration authorities, Guerrero-Mendieta was granted an immigration bond and released from immigration custody. By federal law, he is required to, at all times, carry with him and have in his personal possession any certificate of alien registration or alien registration receipt card.
In Del Rio, Mexican national Emmanuel De Jesius Arroyo-Aviles was arrested for illegal re-entry. On Jan. 28, Arroyo-Aviles was convicted and sentenced to 10 years of probation in Zavala County for smuggling of persons with a likelihood of serious bodily injury or death. Three days after that sentence hearing, on Jan. 31, he was deported to Mexico.
U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Mexican national Cesar Alejandro Munoz-Lopez for illegal re-entry in Eagle Pass. Munoz-Lopez was previously removed to Mexico through San Diego, California, on May 6, but also had an active warrant for failure to appear in court out of Fort Collins, Colorado, as of April 28. Munoz-Lopez has two prior convictions for assault and one felony conviction for bribery of a public servant, for which he was sentenced in 2012 to six years imprisonment.
Angel Amilcar Martinez-Martinez, a Honduran national, was also arrested for illegal re-entry in Eagle Pass. Martinez-Martinez is a convicted felon, having been sentenced in Houston in August 2021 to one year in prison for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Less than three months later, in November, he was convicted for causing an accident involving damage to a vehicle in Houston and sentenced to 90 days confinement. Martinez-Martinez was again convicted in Houston in May 2023 for assault causing bodily injury. He was sentenced to one year confinement and deported for the fourth time on April 5, 2024.
In El Paso, Mexican national Jose Alberto Ramos-Chino was arrested and charged with illegal re-entry after he was found on a Greyhound bus during an immigration checkpoint inspection. Ramos-Chino allegedly did not possess immigration documents allowing him to legally be or remain in the U.S. Estrada has been removed from the U.S. three times, the last time being to Mexico on May 18. Ramos-Chino has been removed from the U.S. twice before and was convicted of two felony charges for drug and firearm possession in 2021.
U.S. citizen Isaac Saldana was charged in El Paso for his alleged involvement in alien smuggling. A criminal complaint alleges that, on July 16, U.S. Border Patrol agents were searching for two illegal aliens who were observed illegally entering the U.S. less than four miles ease of the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry. During their search, a vehicle allegedly driven by Saldana was seen speeding away, running a stop sign and making a hard turn. The agents conducted a traffic stop and transported Saldana to the El Paso Processing Center for further investigation. The investigation revealed that Saldana had been arrested for alien smuggling in 2024 by the Texas Department of Public Safety, and that he allegedly coordinated with a known smuggler for drivers to pick up aliens. A search of Saldana’s phone allegedly indicated approximately 20 instances of such coordination between March and July 16.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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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Former Mexican Mafia Member Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Dealing CocaineRead the Press Release
MIDLAND, Texas – A former ranking member of the Texas Mexican Mafia was sentenced in federal court in Midland to 180 months in prison for six counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
According to court documents, Paul Lujan, 42, of Odessa, was a well-known gang member who had been the subject of several Odessa Police Department investigations over the years. Beginning in October 2024, Lujan sold cocaine on six different occasions as part of a controlled-purchase operation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). After the sixth transaction, on Dec. 23, 2024, Lujan was pulled over, denied the officer’s request to search his truck, and refused numerous requests to exit his vehicle. Lujan was ultimately detained and a K9 conducted an open-air sniff search, alerting to the presence of narcotics inside the truck. Inside the vehicle, the officer located marijuana and a syringe containing a clear liquid substance. A passenger in Lujan’s vehicle was found to have cocaine in his waistband.
Lujan was arrested during the Dec. 23 traffic stop and indicted by a federal grand jury for six counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine on Jan. 22. He pleaded guilty to all six charges on March 31. At the sentencing hearing on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge David Counts granted the United States’ motion for an upward departure from Lujan’s guideline range, noting Lujan’s extremely violent criminal history. Following his 15 years in federal prison, Lujan will serve a six-year term of supervised release.
“This successful outcome was possible because we and our partners were able to prove that Lujan not only committed half a dozen federal drug trafficking offenses in just two months but also had a significant history of violence for which he had yet to be held properly accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. “Thanks to the partnership from various law enforcement resources at the local, state, and federal levels, this violent criminal is finally being held accountable. A violent, career criminal who had operated with near impunity for years will have to spend the next decade and a half in a federal prison.”
“This is a perfect example of how drug trafficking and violence are evil bed fellows,” said Special Agent in Charge Omar Arellano for the DEA El Paso Division. “One of DEA’s strategic priorities is to reduce violent crime fueled by drug trafficking. We thank our state and local partners who helped us do exactly that in this case.”
The DEA, Odessa Police Department, Midland Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Sloane and Kevin Cayton prosecuted the case.
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Jamaican National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Human SmugglingRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A Jamaican national was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio on Tuesday to 70 months in prison for his role in a human smuggling conspiracy that placed lives in jeopardy.
According to court documents, Bryan Adamson, 52, was involved in the coordination of at least 14 alien smuggling events for a human smuggling organization (HSO) between May 6, 2021, and April 28, 2022. He was responsible for recruiting drivers, hiring scouts, paying drivers and co-conspirators, and communicating/coordinating directly with co-conspirators to facilitate the further transport of aliens that arrived in Laredo from Mexico.
In May 2021, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio began investigating the criminal activity of an HSO that smuggled hundreds of aliens from Laredo to San Antonio inside tractor trailers. HSI was able to link at least 19 human smuggling events involving the actual apprehension of over 900 aliens to this HSO. The HSO would smuggle aliens from Mexico to Laredo, where they would be kept in stash houses before being transported to San Antonio in tractor trailers. The loads ranged from approximately 30 aliens to more than 100 aliens traveling in a single trailer.
Several of those smuggling events involved dangerous conditions inside the trailers, including the event on May 6, 2021, in which the San Antonio Police Department received 911 calls regarding a tractor trailer that was in transit with individuals sticking their hands out of a small door in the trailer. The area surrounding the opening had been ripped apart by the individuals inside the trailer in their attempts to escape. Forty-one aliens were apprehended, including one who had to be transported to the hospital for treatment due to displaying symptoms of dehydration. Two of the aliens were unaccompanied minors. One of the aliens told HSI that he was positioned by the trailer doors and observed several people inside having trouble breathing. The aliens stated there had been over 100 people in the trailer and the temperature inside the trailer was high due to the number of bodies, causing them to fear for their lives. When officers arrived, they observed that several of the aliens appeared to be disoriented and were asking for water.
On June 15, 2022, Adamson was charged with one count of transporting illegal aliens. A second count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and placing the life of a person in jeopardy was added in a superseding indictment on Aug. 17, 2022. Adamson was arrested on June 23, 2022. He pleaded guilty to both charges on May 1, 2025.
In addition to Adamson’s imprisonment, Adamson was ordered to spend three years on supervised release. U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez also ordered that Adamson forfeit $164,250 and two firearms along with ammunition and accessories. “Human smuggling crimes don’t just violate borders—they endanger lives, exploit vulnerable people, and finance some of the most dangerous criminal organizations our world has ever known,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “This sentencing sends the message that we will continue to aggressively prosecute these cases and intend to hold those involved accountable.”
“This sentencing underscores the life-threatening risks posed by transnational human smuggling networks that prioritize profit over people,” said Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee. “The defendant’s actions not only violated federal law but posed a risk to human life. We will continue working with our international and domestic partners to protect our communities and uphold the rule of law.”
Seven of Adamson’s co-defendants have already been sentenced. Fredi Zagala-Servin and Sedrick Zelitis Smith were sentenced to 97 months and 84 months in prison, respectively. Mark Algie Holliday, Norman Lee Walker, Jr., Ronnie Joe Branch and Eliseo Loredo were each sentenced to 30 months in prison. Rodney Edward Shavers was sentenced to time served on Feb. 26 after being in custody since Dec. 31, 2022.
Debbie Marie Gonzales pleaded guilty in May and is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 17, while Francisco Arredondo-Colmenero awaits further proceedings following his arrest in Mexico.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Brown prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Gattinella handled the forfeiture on the case.
This investigation was coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 390 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 350 U.S. convictions; more than 300 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and other transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods.
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Federal Jury Convicts Honduran National for Alien Smuggling in Del RioRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A federal jury in Del Rio convicted a Honduran national this week on charges of alien smuggling.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in October 2024, Jerson Alberto Rivera-Kelly, 37, who was then in the United States as a lawful permanent resident was observed by a U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) agent driving an SUV south on Highway 2083 near Comstock, approximately 20 miles from the U.S. border with Mexico. Other USBP agents in the area at that time were searching for a group of five suspected illegal aliens. Rivera-Kelly was pulled over and five occupants were found in the vehicle. All of the occupants were attempting to conceal themselves inside his vehicle. The five individuals were determined to be illegal aliens.
Rivera-Kelly was indicted in November 2024 for one count of conspiracy to transport aliens and one count of illegal alien transportation for profit. The federal jury convicted him on both counts on July 21, 2025. Both charges carry penalties of up to 10 years in federal prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a maximum $250,000 fine in addition to any restitution ordered.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
USBP investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Fleming and Ashley Ellis-Dotson 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 other transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods.
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Venezuelan National Convicted and Sentenced for Immigration ViolationsRead the Press Release
WACO, Texas – A Venezuelan national was sentenced in a federal court in Waco Friday to time served after he pleaded guilty to one count of failure to notify of an address change and one count of failure to carry his alien registration on his person.
According to court documents, Jarrison Bladovino-Melano aka Jarrison Jovanniy Melano aka Yabanni Merlano, was arrested in Belton on July 13 for possession of marijuana and booked in the Bell County Jail. As he was determined to be an illegal alien, Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged an immigration detainer with the jail. Further investigation revealed Bladovino-Melano was previously paroled into the United States by the U.S. Border Patrol in September 2022, and released so that he could travel to New York and reside at an address provided by his sponsor. One year later, Bladovino-Melano was encountered by the Frederick Police Department in Aurora, Colorado, where he was residing at the time instead of at the New York address. He was then found to be residing in Belton.
Bladovino-Melano was transferred into ICE custody on July 17. He pleaded guilty the next day in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Derek T. Gilliland, who sentenced Bladovino-Melano to time served. Bladovino-Melano remains in ICE custody for further processing.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
ICE investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Gloff 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Weekly Immigration Caseload Dips Below 200 in Western District of TexasRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – United States Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 178 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from July 11 through July 17.
Among the new cases, Edgar Josue Montelongo-Loera was charged in a criminal complaint in Del Rio for trafficking in firearms. On June 12, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents, assisting in a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigation, allegedly observed Montelongo-Loera transfer a plastic bag containing seven 9mm pistols to a non-immigrant alien co-conspirator at a parking lot in Eagle Pass. The criminal complaint states that HSI agents followed the co-conspirator to the Eagle Pass Port of Entry, where Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers allegedly located eight firearms concealed inside the vehicle during an inspection. Further investigation by ATF revealed that Montelongo-Loera allegedly purchased one of the pistols at a retail location in San Antonio.
Also in the Del Rio sector, Mexican national Jose Elias Gavina-Vasquez was arrested on July 14 and charged with illegal re-entry. Gavina-Vasquez has seven prior deportations, and he was most recently deported to Mexico on Feb. 23, 2023. He has a prior felony conviction from June 2022 and a separate conviction for driving while intoxicated from March 2022.
Mexican national and convicted felon Juan Antonio Torres-Moreno was also arrested and charged with illegal re-entry in Del Rio. Torres-Moreno has three prior removals and a voluntary departure, the last being a deportation in 2019. The 2019 deportation resulted from his second illegal-re-entry conviction. He was sentenced to nine months confinement in that case.
Sergio Villeda-Hernandez, also a Mexican national, was arrested in Eagle Pass on July 13 and charged with illegal re-entry after he was recently removed from the U.S. on March 18. Villeda-Hernandez is a convicted felon, having been sentenced to just over a year in prison in 2007 for a felony battery, possession of cocaine, and selling cocaine in DeSoto County, Florida.
In El Paso, Mexican national Mario Humberto Sanchez-Hernandez was found less than a mile and a half west of the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry without immigration documents allowing him to be or remain in the U.S. Sanchez-Hernandez was just removed from the U.S. to Mexico for the third time on June 21 through San Diego and was convicted in October 2024 for driving under the influence in Newark, New Jersey.
Two brothers were arrested in El Paso, each charged with one count of alien smuggling. U.S. Border Patrol agents conducted an undercover operation that led them to meet Marcos Dominguez, who allegedly believed the agents were transporting two illegal aliens and were in need of a stash house. A criminal complaint affidavit alleges that Marcos exited his vehicle to assist with transferring one of the illegal aliens from the agents’ vehicle to his own. Marcos was then detained for further investigation and agreed to guide the agents to his residence. At the residence, the agents encountered Marcos’s brother, Andres Dominguez, who allegedly admitted that illegal aliens were present inside. Agents located four subjects determined to be illegal aliens. The illegal aliens were arrested and transported to the Ysleta Border Patrol Station. The investigation revealed that Marcos allegedly housed more than 40 illegal aliens at his residence, was paid $200 per day for his smuggling actions, and would split the earnings with his brother Andres, whom he said helped him house and transport the illegal aliens.
In Austin, the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Fugitive Operations Team (FOT) encountered Honduran national Jimmy Reinel Espinal-Mejia on July 16. Espinal-Mejia was convicted for illegal re-entry in May 2024 after being previously removed in January 2024. For that conviction, he was sentenced to 63 days confinement and removed in July 2024. Six years earlier, in 2018, Espinal-Mejia was convicted for aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
In Waco, a Mexican national was charged with illegal re-entry on July 17 when Temple Police responded to a vehicle collision in Temple and identified Eloy Hernandez-Ponce as one of the vehicle occupants. ICE identified Hernandez-Ponce as a previously removed alien who was last deported in March 2010 following a felony conviction for intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle in Houston.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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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High School Teacher Arrested for Alleged Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WACO, Texas – A Belton High School teacher was arrested Thursday on criminal charges related to his alleged possession of visual depictions of sexual activities by minors.
According to court documents, Pietro Victor Giustino, 39, allegedly possessed and attempted to possess child sexual abuse material, including depictions of minors engaged in sexual intercourse.
Giustino made his initial appearance in a federal court in Waco today and, if convicted, faces up to 10 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case with assistance from the Belton Police Department, and with cooperation from the Belton Independent School District.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Gloff is 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 www.justice.gov/psc.
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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San Antonio Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced in federal court to 210 months in prison for receipt of child pornography.
According to court documents, David Guzman, 44, knowingly received child pornography and, using his laptop and cell phone, searched for and downloaded files containing child pornography using a peer-to-peer file sharing program called uTorrent. Of the files on his laptop, Guzman possessed 107 image files and 268 video files containing infants, toddlers, bondage, bestiality, and other sadistic acts.
Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio executed a federal search warrant at Guzman’s residence on Nov. 30, 2022. He was arrested on Dec. 1, 2022, and was subsequently charged in a two-count indictment on Dec. 14, 2022. On April 10, 2024, he pled guilty to receipt of child pornography. In addition to the more than 17-year imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Jason Pulliam sentenced Guzman to lifetime supervised release and ordered him to pay $65,000 in restitution.
“Seeking out and downloading child pornography, as Guzman did, eternally victimizes the innocent children forced to engage in despicable acts and encourages the production of child sexual abuse material,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Protecting children from predators and criminal exploitation remains a priority in this district, and I thank our partners at HSI San Antonio for working with us to bring this predator to justice.”
“Homeland Security Investigations is dedicated to safeguarding children from exploitation and ensuring justice is served,” said ICE HSI San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee. “This 17 ½-year sentence reflects the seriousness of crimes involving the receipt of child pornography and underscores our commitment to holding offenders accountable. HSI will continue working tirelessly with our partners to protect vulnerable victims and pursue those who prey on them.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bettina Richardson and Kirk Mangels prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Jury-Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced to 125 months in federal prison Wednesday after a federal jury convicted him in February for one count of felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Dante Delray Vecera, 33, was found unresponsive in a locked and running vehicle blocking two lanes of traffic on the 410 frontage road. Police officers observed a bag containing white powder, a marijuana cigarette, and a bag of what appeared to be black tar heroin inside the vehicle. The officers provided Vecera with Narcan, fearing an overdose. While waiting for EMS to arrive on scene, officers looked for Vecera’s driver’s license in an attempt to identify him and located an unholstered, loaded pistol in the pocket of his pants. While officers were removing the weapon, Vecera regained consciousness. He refused all field sobriety tests and was taken into custody after being medically cleared.
Prior to this arrest Vecera had been convicted of several violent felonies, including two prior Nevada convictions for burglary and sexually motivated coercion, and a Texas conviction for violation of a protective order and assault.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, San Antonio Police Department and the Castle Hills Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karina O’Daniel and Amy Hail prosecuted the case.
This is a Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Initiative case. VAWA was first enacted in 1994 as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. It initially focused on providing resources and training to improve the responses and policies of law enforcement, prosecutors, and courts, to support victim services, and to address crimes historically treated as private matters. Recognizing that domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking require a coordinated community response that extends beyond the justice system, Congress subsequently reauthorized VAWA, enhancing its policies and expanding grant funding streams, in 2000, 2005, 2013, and 2022. The Office on Violence Against Women has issued more than $11 billion in funding authorized by VAWA in its lifetime.
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