Western District of Texas

SAN ANTONIO – United States Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced that federal prosecutors in the district filed 229 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from Jan. 9 to Jan. 15. Additionally, the district received 125 new habeas petitions bringing a total of 817 civil immigration cases received since Jan. 20, 2025. Charges were brought against illegal aliens with past convictions for violent crimes and DWIs, as well as alleged human smugglers and aliens with multiple prior removals.

Among the cases, Ricardo Mujica-Calderon, a Mexican national, had illegally re-entered the United States, and sold a kilogram of methamphetamine to a confidential source. When agents executed a search warrant at Mujica’s house, he slammed the door shut and fled before being arrested in a neighbor's yard. Agents found approximately 13 kilograms of methamphetamine in Mujica’s home. Agents also found an AR-15, two "ghost guns", and three other pistols, all of which were loaded. While being transferred to jail, Mujica fought the officer in an attempt to escape. The officer pulled over, requested assistance from local authorities, and was able to secure him preventing the escape. Mujica’s criminal record includes a conviction for assault of a family member by choking/strangulation; a conviction for driving while intoxicated with a child under 15 years of age; and two convictions for illegal re-entry into the United States.

On Jan. 13, ICE officers were conducting operations in San Antonio and approached a vehicle registered to Robyn Argote-Brooks. The driver, Argote, a Cuban national, had entered the US in Laredo where Customs and Border Protection issued Argote a Notice to Appear and paroled him into the U.S. on Oct. 11, 2024. His parole had been terminated on April 18, 2025. When officers decided to apprehend Argote, Argote rolled up his window and refused to come out. Argote turned on the ignition and drove his car in reverse causing the officers to jump out of the way of the moving vehicle. Argote then drove forward crashing into another government vehicle and injuring the officer who was driving that vehicle. In so doing, Argote caused $4,847.19 in damage. Argote was placed under arrest and transferred for processing. 

On Jan. 9, in Frio County, Rodrigo Jose Cedeno-Espinos, a citizen of Venezuela who illegally entered the U.S. on or about Oct. 1, 2023, attempted to escape the Dilley Immigration Processing Center by scaling the perimeter fence after having been detained for immigration proceedings. The Dilley Police Department was notified and Cedeno was in custody within an hour.

A Hollywood Park Police Officer conducting a traffic stop for a traffic violation on Jan. 10, encountered four suspected foreign nationals. After requesting assistance from ICE/ERO, database checks identified Jesus Antonio Flores-Pineda, a citizen of El Salvador who had been previously removed from the U.S. to El Salvador on Dec. 23, 2022. Flores had been convicted in Nevada for Statutory Sexual Seduction and sentenced to a maximum of 48 months and a minimum of 16 months confinement. Flores has not been granted permission to reapply for admission to the United States after his removal.

Lenin Israel Guifarro-Almendarez, an alien to the United States, was found in a storm ditch approximately 0.18 miles west of the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry in El Paso, on Jan. 16. The arresting agent determined that Guifarro is a native and citizen of Honduras without immigration documents allowing him to be or remain in the United States legally. Guifarro had previously been removed from the U.S. to Honduras on Dec. 2, 2024, through Alexandria, Louisiana.

On Jan. 6, at the James R. Dominguez checkpoint on Highway 90 near Uvalde, a canine alerted Customs and Border Protection personnel to a black sedan. Passenger Maximiliano Arellano became combative, refused commands, and struck a Border Patrol agent in the chest, then resisted on the ground. Arellano is charged with one count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding a federal officer.

Border Patrol Agents in Eagle Pass arrested Nelson Alexander Velasquez-Velasquez on Jan. 12.  Velasquez was determined to be in the U.S. illegally after having previously deported on November 18, 2016, through Del Rio.

These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.

These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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DEL RIO, Texas – A Guatemalan national was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 360 months in prison for alien smuggling and hostage taking.

According to court documents, Edwin Alfredo Barrientos-Mateo aka “Waches,” 23, was arrested, along with co-conspirator Nelson Abilio Castro-Zelaya, at an apartment in Austin where nine illegal aliens had been held as part of a human smuggling scheme. Three of the illegal aliens being held were a family consisting of a man, pregnant woman, and their seven-year-old child. The day prior to their discovery in Austin, the Eagle Pass Police Department received a report that the family was being held involuntarily and that an alien smuggling organization was demanding a $21,000 payment for the family’s release.

Barrientos-Mateo was named in a six-count indictment on April 24, 2024, and was arrested on May 15, 2024. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit hostage taking on Nov. 4, 2024.

Castro-Zelaya was sentenced in November 2025 to 180 months in federal prison. All other co-defendants have pleaded guilty and are pending sentencing. Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses presides over the case.

“Alien smuggling organizations care nothing about the hopes and dreams of those they smuggle,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “When they look at an illegal alien, all they see is a dollar sign. Do not trust them with your life because the only life they really care about is their own.”

Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, and the Texas Department of Public Safety investigated the case with assistance from the Eagle Pass Police Department, Austin Police Department, Houston Police Department and the Comal County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Miner is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

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AUSTIN, Texas – A former Bastrop federal correctional officer made his initial appearance in a federal court in Austin today and pleaded guilty to one count of bribery.

According to court documents, Waldemar Perez, 49, worked as a correctional officer at Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Bastrop from approximately May 23, 2021, to May 11, 2023. While employed there as a public official, he developed a business and practice of smuggling prohibited items into FCI Bastrop and providing them to prisoners in return for bribes. Perez would receive prohibited items from the prisoners’ friends and relatives outside the facility, secretly transport the items into the prison, hide them in various locations, and notify the prisoners where to find them.

During the two years that Perez engaged in the bribery scheme, he received tens of thousands of dollars in bribes from prisoners or others paying on their behalf. In one instance, on May 3, 2023, Perez received an electronic transfer of $300 as a bribe to smuggle prohibited items such as cigarettes and electronic cigarettes into FCI Bastrop and provide them to one inmate.

Perez faces up to 15 years in prison and a $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 and Department of Justice Office of Inspector General investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Buie is prosecuting the case.

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SAN ANTONIO – United States Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced today that federal prosecutors in the district filed 735 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from Dec. 19, 2025 to Jan. 8, 2026. Charges were brought against illegal aliens with past convictions for violent crimes and DWIs, as well as alleged human smugglers and aliens with multiple prior removals.

Among the cases, U.S. citizen Kenya Rodriguez-Marcial was arrested on Christmas Eve and charged with conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens. A criminal complaint alleges Rodriguez-Marcial attempted to enter the U.S. via pedestrian lanes at the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry, claiming she was going to pick up items for Christmas dinner. Upon inspection of her purse, the Customs and Border Protection Officer allegedly observed a stack of $100 U.S. Dollar bills and $500 Mexican Peso bills folded in half with a rubber band. According to the complaint, further inspection revealed the currency totaled $1,300 USD and 11,500 MXN. Rodriguez-Marcial allegedly confessed that the money was proceeds from her involvement in alien smuggling, and that she was enroute to care for and feed two illegal alien children in El Paso. On her phone, CBPOs allegedly found a “proof of life” video recording of a female child stating she was in El Paso on Dec. 23, 2025, along with multiple text conversations between Rodriguez-Marcial and another individual, one relating to smuggling a girl on Dec. 23.

In a separate smuggling incident, U.S. Border Patrol agents conducted a vehicle stop on Interstate-10 west of Sierra Blanca after allegedly observing several individuals load into the vehicle in the westbound lane of the highway. A criminal complaint alleges that, when a USBP agent approved the vehicle during the stop, the agent observed two front passengers and several other subjects lying in the cargo area of the vehicle. The driver, Alexis Antillon-Rey, allegedly opened his car door and attempted to exit. Antillon-Rey, who is a Mexican national and allegedly a pickup driver for an Alien Smuggling Organization, was determined to be in the U.S. illegally—as were the six other individuals in his vehicle who were bound for El Paso. One of the passengers, Ecuadoran national Manuel Leonardo Caiza-Deleg, allegedly served as the group’s guide and communicated with Antillon-Rey to coordinate the smuggling scheme. Both Antillon-Rey and Caiza-Deleg are charged with alien smuggling.

Mexican national and felon Miguel Angel Martinez-Ruiz was arrested in El Paso and charged with illegal re-entry after being removed to Mexico on Oct. 31 through San Ysidro, California. Martinez-Ruiz was convicted in 2022 for assault with a deadly weapon causing brain injury and paralysis, for which he was sentenced to seven years in prison. He was also convicted three times for driving without a license.

Marcio Steven Izaguirre, who is a Honduran national and convicted child molester, was arrested near Maverick for being in the U.S. illegally. Izaguirre has been deported from the U.S. three times. He was also convicted for contributing to the delinquency of a minor as well as illegal re-entry after an aggravated felony conviction.

Milton Edgardo Hernandez-Flores, also a Honduran national, was charged with illegal re-entry after being arrested by USBP agents near Maverick. Hernandez-Flores has been granted four voluntary returns and has been deported three times, the last one being on Sept. 15, 2025. Prior felony convictions include possession of a narcotic controlled substance, robbery/conspiracy/threats, and assault with a deadly weapon.

Honduran national Juan Fernando Lara-Saavedra was arrested in Buda and charged with illegal re-entry. Lara-Saavedra was previously removed from the U.S. to Honduras in 2014 following a conviction for aggravated battery in Louisiana.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Jose Antonio Calderon, a Salvadoran national, in Kyle. Calderon was previously convicted for aggravated assault against a public servant and resisting arrest. He was removed from the U.S. twice in 2010 and is now charged with illegal re-entry.

Mexican national Alejandro Martinez Jaimes was found in the Travis County Jail on Jan. 1, after being arrested for failing to identify. He was taken into ICE custody and charged with illegal re-entry. In 2022, Martinez Jaimes was convicted for alien smuggling and sentenced to 15 months in federal prison. He was removed from the U.S. in Nov. 2023.

Reynaldo Rofino-Octaviano, a Mexican national with three prior DWI convictions, was found in El Paso approximately a quarter mile west of the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry. He has been previously removed from the U.S. three times, the last one being to Mexico in November. Rofino-Octaviano’s other prior convictions include driving with a suspended license and a felony conviction for possession of a controlled substance.

These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.

These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. 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 – A former IRS employee was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 24 months in prison and a $150,000 fine for preparing false tax returns.

According to court documents, Hector Cavazos, 63, of San Antonio, owned and operated a tax return preparation business, where he aided and assisted in the preparation of 61 false tax returns on behalf of 13 taxpayer-clients and one undercover agent for tax years 2016 through 2021. Defying IRS regulations, Cavazos did not sign any of the returns as a paid preparer. Additionally, the 61 tax returns prepared by Cavazos contained false Schedule C losses, unbeknownst to the 13 taxpayer-clients. The 61 violations amounted to a tax loss of $579,682.

Cavazos had been employed by the IRS until 1996, when he was arrested and charged with fraud in the Eastern District of California. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy and collusion with another person to defraud the United States and was sentenced on Nov. 6, 2000, to two months in prison.

On Sept. 4, 2024, Cavazos was indicted on 27 counts of preparing false tax returns. He pleaded guilty to one count on July 1, 2025. In addition to ordering the prison sentence and fine, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery barred Cavazos from preparing, aiding and assisting in the preparation of tax returns.

“Unscrupulous tax return preparers such as Hector Cavazos cause incalculable harm not only to the U.S. Treasury and all U.S. taxpayers, but also their own clients who face the possibility of additional taxes plus interest and penalties,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “The multi-year prison sentence and fine imposed in this case reflects the seriousness of this offense, and my office will continue to prosecute individuals who violate federal tax laws.”

“Cavazos never signed his name or provided an IRS Preparer Tax Identification Number. He was a ghost preparer. He made his fraud look like his clients prepared the returns,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Troy Caldron of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office, which includes San Antonio. “Not only did he betray his clients, Cavazos also betrayed the trust that tax payers have in the profession of tax preparers. Tax season is approaching, and everyone needs to be diligent in selecting who prepares their taxes.”

IRS-CI investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Harris prosecuted the case.

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AUSTIN, Texas – A former elementary school teacher pleaded guilty in a federal court in Austin today to possession of child pornography.

According to court documents, a digital forensic analysis of seized devices determined that Carl David Innmon, 51, possessed more than 16,000 files depicting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on a laptop computer and an additional 349,728 files depicting CSAM on an external hard drive. Thousands of the images possessed by Innmon involved prepubescent minors under the age of 12.

Innmon was a fifth-grade teacher in the Austin Independent School District at the time of his April 2025 arrest and had previously worked as a substitute teacher at approximately 20 other schools within the district. He faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

The Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant Sparks 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.

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A San Antonio-based member of the Nihilistic Violent Extremist (NVE) group 764 pleaded guilty today to racketeering activity and multiple acts relating to the sexual exploitation of children.

“The FBI will not rest when it comes to identifying and holding accountable those who prey on children and other vulnerable individuals,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The court documents show the defendant coerced minors to commit heinous and cruel acts of self-harm. Today’s guilty plea is a major step in seeing justice served in this case and demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to protecting the nation’s youth.”

"Chavez led a group of online predators whose ultimate purpose is to destroy our society.  They tried to achieve that heinous goal by desensitizing innocent children to violence—coercing them to perform gruesome and harmful acts against themselves and animals—with the hope of encouraging further violence and spreading chaos," said Sue J. Bai, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for National Security. "The National Security Division will continue to relentlessly investigate and prosecute predators who seek to terrorize our society by targeting our most vulnerable."

“764 members, like the defendant, use the Internet to prey on vulnerable minors, coercing them to mutilate themselves, produce child exploitation images of themselves, and attempt suicide," said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. "My office will do everything legally possible to prosecute and imprison members of this group for as long as the law allows."

According to court documents, Alexis Aldair Chavez, also known as Zack and Zack8884, 19, was an administrator and online leader of the ‘8884’ network, which is a network related to 764. Both 8884 and 764 are NVEs who engage in criminal conduct within the United States and engage with other extremists abroad. These NVEs share accelerationist goals that include social unrest and the downfall of the current world order, including the U.S. Government. Members of 8884 work in concert with one another towards a common purpose of destroying civilized society through the corruption and exploitation of vulnerable populations, including minors. NVEs engage in criminal conduct within the United States and abroad, in furtherance of political, social, or religious goals that derive primarily from a hatred of society at large and a desire to bring about its collapse by sowing indiscriminate chaos, destruction, and social instability. NVEs demand, coerce, and extort victims to engage in variety of violent conduct, including self-mutilation, online and in-person sexual acts, harm to animals, sexual exploitation of siblings and others, acts of violence, threats of violence, suicide, and murder.

In or about October 2023, Chavez and a co-conspirator attempted to have a minor female kill herself in a video chat by overdosing on pills. The two conspirators recorded the attempted suicide to obtain “content” that would allow them to maintain and increase their status in the 8884 enterprise. Approximately two months later, Chavez and the minor female victim worked together to coerce a female located overseas to get naked on camera, cut herself, and engage in sexual acts. They also extorted another female by forcing the victim to cut the name “Zack” into herself.

On or about Dec. 29, 2023, Chavez and a co-conspirator coerced another minor female to cut her tongue as well as torture and kill a cat on a live video call. That same month, Chavez and another co-conspirator worked together to groom and extort several other minor females. In one instance, the two conspirators coerced a female victim to light her arm on fire and have the fire burn through her skin and deeper into her body, while on a recorded video chat within the ‘8884’ channel. They groomed another minor female victim, forcing her to drink her own urine and attempt to overdose on unknown pills.

On or about Jan. 23, 2024, Chavez and a co-conspirator threatened and coerced a minor female victim to engage in sexually obscene activities and other egregious acts.

Chavez pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. He faces up to 20 years in prison for each count, with a minimum of five years in prison for the distribution charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI San Antonio Field Office is investigating the case with assistance from FBI Washington Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the San Antonio Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Roomberg and Bill Harris for the Western District of Texas, and Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

The Justice Department remains vigilant against the threat of Nihilistic Violent Extremist (NVE) networks, like 764, that operate within the United States and around the globe. NVEs often target vulnerable individuals, including minors, using social media platforms to share CSAM and gore material, and groom victims toward committing acts of violence. Victims are often extorted, coerced, compelled, and blackmailed into complying with NVE demands, including self-mutilation, online and in-person sexual acts, harm to animals, sexual exploitation of siblings and others, acts of violence, threats of violence, suicide, and murder. For more information on how to protect children and others, read about the online risks here: Parents, Caregivers, Teachers — FBI and the FBI’s March 2025 public service announcement.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Two Colombian nationals made their initial appearance in court in El Paso, Texas yesterday after being extradited from Colombia to face charges relating to their roles in a dangerous human smuggling conspiracy that left 40 aliens and two boat captains missing.

In October 2024, a federal grand jury in the Western District of Texas returned an indictment against Hernando Manuel De La Cruz Rivera Orjuela, also known as Hernan, also known as Manuel, also known as El Patron, 53, and Luis Enrique Linero Pinto, aka El Calvo, 41, of Colombia for conspiring to encourage and induce aliens to come to, enter, and reside in the United States placing lives in jeopardy and in violation of immigration laws of the United States.

“These defendants are alleged to have operated a sophisticated human smuggling operation that resulted in the disappearance of 42 people at sea,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Human smuggling is a dangerous, predatory enterprise that exploits vulnerable migrants for profit. The Criminal Division will continue to aggressively dismantle these criminal networks that profit from human suffering and threaten the security of our border.”

“There is no limit as to the lengths we will go to bring to justice those who would smuggle humans into the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Taking down human smuggling operations, like this one, deals a direct blow to the transnational criminal organizations that receive millions of dollars from these operations. Therefore, prosecuting these kinds of cases is key to accomplishing of our mission to eradicate Mexican drug cartels and other transnational criminal organizations that use this country as a direct and indirect means to enrich themselves. Thank you to all of our law enforcement partners and members of Joint Task Force Alpha who stand shoulder to shoulder with us in this worthwhile effort.”

Rivera Orjuela and Linero Pinto were arrested in Colombia in December 2024 at the request of the United States. Their extraditions followed extensive coordination and cooperation between U.S. and Colombian law enforcement authorities.

According to the indictment, the defendants participated in a conspiracy where they were directly and personally responsible for unlawfully smuggling aliens, transporting them from other locations to San Andres Island, Colombia, and from there to Nicaragua via boats, north through Central America and Mexico, before reaching their final destination in the United States. Allegedly, Rivera Orjuela and Linero Pinto advised the migrants how to get to San Andres Island, personally received them once they arrived on the island, arranged for their accommodation, and brought them to the boats that transported them to Nicaragua so they could enter the United States illegally. Linero Pinto is alleged to have bribed uniformed service members of the Colombian Navy to acquire real-time intelligence about the position of Navy patrol vessels located between San Andres Island and Nicaragua, enabling the boats carrying migrants to avoid detection. On Oct. 21, 2023, a boat carrying approximately 40 aliens and two boat captains disappeared on its way to Nicaragua after leaving San Andreas Island. The defendants were allegedly responsible for smuggling the aliens on that boat who were en route to the United States.

HSI led the investigation, with assistance from their McAllen, El Paso, and Cartagena Field Offices. HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, and the Justice Department’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT); Office of International Affairs; and the Justice Department’s Judicial Attaché Office in Bogotá provided valuable assistance. The Justice Department thanks Colombian law enforcement officials, who were instrumental in furthering this investigation.

The investigation and indictment were coordinated and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere.

Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/ HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 425 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 375 U.S. convictions; more than 325 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets. The extraditions of Rivera Orjuela and Linero Pinto are the first extraditions from Colombia resulting from JTFA’s work since the taskforce’s mission expanded to target human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Colombia.

Trial Attorneys Danielle Hickman of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Daria Andryushchenko of the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose Luis Acosta for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs Acting Associate Director Jesse Ormsby and the Justice Department’s Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Kristopher Jarvis, provided significant assistance with the extradition.

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.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

AUSTIN, Texas – Dr. Mark Malone, Advanced Pain Care, and related entities have agreed to pay the United States and the State of Texas $13,625,000 to resolve allegations they submitted false claims for urine drug testing to federal and state healthcare programs. The United States will receive $13,590,544.88 and Texas will receive $34,455.12.

Advanced Pain Care is an interventional pain medicine practice with locations in and around Austin, Amarillo, Waco, and Houston. Dr. Malone is a pain management doctor and the founder of Advanced Pain Care. The Advanced Pain Care entities that are parties to the settlement include Mark Malone M.D., P.A., Round Rock Surgery Center, LLC, APC-Amarillo Surgical Operating Company, LLC, Killeen Surgical Operating Company, LLC, Waco Surgical Operating Company, LLC, Southwest Surgical Operating Company, LLC, Shoal Creek Pharmacy Operations, LLC, Palo Duro Pharmacy Operations, LLC, APC Pharmacy, LLC, Advanced Anesthesiology, Advanced Health Holdings, LLC, Advanced RX Pharmacy, APC Investments LLC, APC360 LLC, 6000 South Mopac APC LLC, MMJ Partners, LP, and MMC Holdco, LLC.

The United States alleged that Dr. Malone and Advanced Pain Care knowingly submitted false claims to Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program for concurrent presumptive and definitive urine drug testing for the same patient on the same date of service, without reviewing the results of the presumptive test to determine whether a definitive test was medically necessary. The United States also alleged that Dr. Malone and Advanced Pain Care knowingly submitted false claims to the Department of Veterans Affairs for definitive drug testing using separate Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes for individual analytes (i.e., CPT series 803XX) for dates of service between January 3, 2017, and December 31, 2021.

“‘First, do no harm,’ it’s one of the main charges in the oath traditionally taken by those blessed with the responsibility of providing medical care to their neighbors,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Some, like Dr. Malone, instead cause harm by submitting false claims for procedures, thereby enriching themselves to the detriment of the American taxpayer. These settlements demonstrate my office’s commitment to protect the healthcare programs on which the American people have come to rely. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that providers are held accountable for false claims violations and the public fisc is protected.”

Contemporaneous with the civil settlement, Advanced Pain Care entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). Under the CIA, Advanced Pain Care must maintain a compliance program, implement a risk assessment process, and hire an Independent Review Organization (IRO) to review its claims.

“When health care professionals submit false claims to federal programs, they erode public trust and divert taxpayer-funded resources away from individuals who truly need care,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This settlement underscores our steadfast commitment to safeguarding taxpayer dollars and collaborating with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who defraud the American people.”

“The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) will tirelessly pursue allegations of fraud and corruption, bringing to justice those who seek to enrich themselves through exploitation of TRICARE, the U.S. Military’s health benefit program,” said Chad Gosch, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, DCIS Southwest Field Office. “This outcome is a testament to the commitment of DCIS and our law enforcement partners in safeguarding the integrity of this nation’s healthcare system.”

“Health care providers and practices who knowingly submit false claims must be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Derek M. Holt of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General. “We are grateful to our law enforcement partners for their work to protect the integrity of federal healthcare programs, including the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.”

“This civil settlement is a testament to the VA OIG’s commitment to safeguarding the integrity of VA’s healthcare programs and preserving taxpayer funds,” said Special Agent in Charge Kris Raper with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s South-Central Field Office. “The VA OIG thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts in this case.”

The settlement resolves claims brought against Dr. Malone and Advanced Pain Care in five separate lawsuits filed under the qui tam provisions of the federal False Claims Act and the Texas Health Care Program Fraud Prevention Act:

1. United States ex rel. Lawlor v. Dr. Mark Malone et al., Civil Action No. 5:15-CV-60;
2. United States and Texas ex rel. Mack v. Mark Malone, M.D., P.A., d/b/a Advanced Pain Care, et al., Civil Action No. 1:20-CV-215;
3. United States and Texas ex rel. Nuessner et al. v. Mark Malone M.D., P.A. d/b/a Advanced Pain Care, et al., Civil Action No. 1:21-CV-257; and
4. United States and Texas ex rel. APC, LLP v. Advanced Pain Care, Inc., et al., Civil Action No. 5:23-CV-1106; and
5. United States and Texas ex rel. [Redacted] v. [Redacted], Civil Action No. 1:23-CV-1410 (Under Seal).

The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, DoD Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General, and Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General participated in the investigation of this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Parnham negotiated the settlement on behalf of the government.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

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DEL RIO, Texas – A Houston man was sentenced in a federal court to 168 months in prison for importing and trafficking methamphetamine.

According to court documents, Alfonso Avellaneda Chavarrieta, 25, drove into the Eagle Pass Port of Entry on Nov. 17, 2021, and was referred to secondary inspection, where a canine alerted U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers to 64 bundles of methamphetamine in the vehicle’s rear tires. The methamphetamine inside the bundles tested positive for 31.4 kilograms with a purity level of 97%.

Chavarrieta was indicted for four counts on Dec. 8, 2021. He pleaded guilty to all four charges on Aug. 22, 2022. He was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses.

U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Fleming and Amy Greenbaum 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 Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

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SAN ANTONIO – A Colombian national made his initial appearance in a federal court in El Paso Monday after he was extradited to the United States on Friday.

According to court documents, Luis Guillermo Peralta Pacheco, is allegedly a member of a Colombian drug trafficking organization identified as a major supplier of cocaine to the Caribbean and the United States. Through a joint investigation beginning in March 2018, agents seized an alleged 24 kilograms of cocaine and identified nine alleged members of the network.

On March 16, 2022, Peralta Pacheco and eight alleged co-conspirators—Alvaro Luis Deluque Pallares, Angello Caicedo Atehortua, Juan Camilo Valderrama Taborda, Carlos Alfredo Becerra Castro, Lina Gisseth Barrera Sarmiento, Angel Julio Arroyo Calderon, Pedro Emilio Gallardo Hincapie, and Charle Salcedo Portilla—were indicted in the Western District of Texas on conspiracy charges to import and distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, with provisional arrest warrants approved in 2023. All nine defendants have now been successfully extradited to the U.S.

U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

The FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case, with assistance from the FBI’s Legal Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Judicial Attaché Office in Bogotá worked with the Government of Colombia to secure the arrest and extradition from Colombia of all nine defendants.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian Rosales is prosecuting the case.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF San Antonio comprises agents and officers from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the Department of Treasury, the Department of State, the Department of War, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the Department of Labor. with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas. Participating agencies include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Diplomatic Security Service; the Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the U.S. Secret Service; along with state and local law enforcement.

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 – A San Antonio felon was arrested today in San Antonio on criminal charges related to his alleged possession of firearms and explosives.

According to court documents, Dustin Jay Ammons was identified as an individual who placed pipe bombs at the external ATMs of two San Antonio banks on Sept. 12 and Sept. 26. The suspect had attempted to breach the machines with the explosives and a field analysis of the white powder residue found in the area of the ATMs determined the presence of PentaErythritolTetraNitrate (PETN).

On Dec. 12, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives executed a search warrant on Ammons’s residence, assisted by the FBI, San Antonio Fire Department Arson Bureau, San Antonio Police Department, the Bexar County Fire Department, Bexar County Fire Marshals and Bexar County Emergency Management.

During the search, agents allegedly discovered a .40 caliber pistol in Ammons’s closet. A criminal complaint filed Friday afternoon alleges that agents also found parts and components of a destructive device, specifically a pipe bomb, inside Ammons’s vehicle, which matched the description of the suspect’s vehicle from the two September incidents. Additionally, the complaint alleges that Ammons had supplies consistent with making PETN and other homemade explosives in his garage, including precursors and beakers. The complaint further alleges that agents discovered multiple suspected destructive devices in various stages of manufacture, and a short-barreled 9mm rifle.

Ammons was previously convicted for possession of a stolen firearm. He is now charged with one count of felon in possession of a firearm as well as one count of possession of an unregistered destructive device. If convicted, he faces up to 15 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 ATF is investigating the case with assistance from the FBI and SAPD.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Wannarka is prosecuting the case.

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SAN ANTONIO – United States Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced today that federal prosecutors in the district filed 316 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from Dec. 5 to Dec. 11. Charges were brought against illegal aliens with past convictions for violent crimes and DWIs, as well as alleged human smugglers and aliens with prior removals.

Francisco Javier Navarro-Ramirez, a Legal Permanent Resident born in Mexico, was arrested near Tornillo and charged with human smuggling. A criminal complaint alleges Navarro-Ramirez was the driver of a vehicle travelling at high speeds with multiple individuals inside. Navarro-Ramirez allegedly did not yield to U.S. Border Patrol emergency lights and was eventually stopped by a tire deflation device deployed by a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper. The complaint alleges that Navarro-Ramirez was quickly apprehended after he attempted to flee on foot, and five illegal aliens were found inside the vehicle.

A Salvadoran national was arrested by USBP agents near Maverick for being illegally present in the U.S. Douglas Alexis Bautista-Arevalo was removed to El Salvador for the second time on Sept. 4 and has been previously convicted for two DWIs. In March, he was convicted for assault causing bodily injury to a family member.

In Austin, Mexican nationals Juan David Barajas-Armas and Noe Mendez-Salazar were each charged with illegal re-entry. Barajas-Armas has two prior removals and has been convicted of three DWIs and obstructing a highway/passageway. Mendez-Salazar has also been removed twice before and has three DWI convictions.

These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.

These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. 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.

###

SAN ANTONIO – A Mexican national was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 155 months in prison for trafficking methamphetamine.

According to court documents, Cesar Sepulveda Esquivel aka Cesar Sepulveda Jimenez, 47, of Piedras Negras, was identified as a supplier for methamphetamine and cocaine in December 2022. A joint investigation resulted in multiple narcotics transactions between Jan. 11 and April 5, 2023.

Esquivel was arrested at his home on May 24, 2023, and was found to be in possession of a 45-caliber handgun, two ounces of marijuana, several grams of methamphetamine, and 10 grams of cocaine. He pleaded guilty on Aug. 13, 2025, and was sentenced Dec. 8 by U.S. District Judge David Ezra.

In 2008, Esquivel was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He served 48 months in prison before being removed to Mexico. Esquivel illegally returned to the U.S. in 2022, continuing to distribute narcotics.

U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

The DEA and Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Spears prosecuted the case.

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SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio woman was sentenced in federal court today to 260 months in prison for one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents, Veronica Mejia Menjares aka Vero, 40, sold methamphetamine to an individual three times between March 6 and April 4, 2023. She also sold heroin on two occasions in that period. It was during the April 4 exchange that the Drug Enforcement Administration arrested Menjares. A search of her backpack revealed 62.1 grams of heroin, 392.48 grams of crystal methamphetamine, approximately 23.02 grams of marijuana, a digital scale, and one 9mm handgun loaded with a magazine containing 14 rounds.

A federal search warrant on Menjares’s residence resulted in the discovery of four assault rifles, three additional 9mm handguns, and six rifle magazines, one of which contained 18 .556 rounds.

Menjares was indicted for three counts on May 3, 2023. She pleaded guilty on Aug. 6, 2025. U.S. District Judge David Ezra sentenced Menjares to 200 months in prison for the methamphetamine charge, running consecutive to five years in prison for the firearm offense.

Menjares’s criminal record includes three prior convictions for possession of a controlled substance, two convictions for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and two convictions for unlawfully carrying a handgun.

U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

The DEA investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Spears prosecuted the case.

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SAN ANTONIO – United States Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced today that federal prosecutors in the district filed 468 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from Nov. 21 to Dec. 4. Charges were brought against illegal aliens with past convictions for violent crimes, DWIs, manslaughter and attempted murder, as well as alleged human smugglers and aliens with prior removals.

On Nov. 22, two non-U.S. citizens were arrested and charged with alien smuggling in El Paso. U.S. Border Patrol agents observed the two individuals assisting three people out of a canal and into a pickup truck. USBP agents conducted a traffic stop on the truck, when the vehicle doors opened, and the five occupants ran away. The agents initially located and apprehended four of the subjects. A criminal complaint alleges that Denis Ruben Ampie-Ayerdis was identified as the front passenger who assisted the three illegal aliens out of the canal. Ampie-Ayerdis allegedly stated that he was in the U.S. legally under asylum. The driver of the vehicle, Jose Gregorio Rivera-Angarita, was detained by a Hudspeth County Sheriff’s Officer shortly after the other four. Rivera-Angarita stated he was in the U.S. illegally and that he knew the three individuals he picked up were illegal aliens. Rivera-Angarita also allegedly stated that he and his brother, Ampie-Ayerdis, were being paid a total of $800 to pick up and transport the aliens to a house in El Paso. The coordination of the scheme allegedly developed with someone Ampie-Ayerdis met on the social media app, TikTok.

On Nov. 27, a USBP agent stopped a vehicle that had allegedly been observed picking up multiple individuals half a mile north of the Rio Grande River on Texas Highway 20. A criminal complaint alleges the agent noticed four individuals tightly crammed in the back seat, unrestrained and attempting to conceal themselves. The complaint further alleges that fifth occupant was hiding on the floorboard of the front passenger seat, attempting to conceal herself with a jacket. The driver of the vehicle was identified as Nahum Alejandro Carrillo-Gallardo, who allegedly stated he was instructed to pick up and transport the five illegal aliens—foreign nationals from Guatemala and Mexico—to a location near Fort Bliss, where another person would take custody. Carrillo-Gallardo is charged with one count of alien smuggling.

A convicted felon from Mexico was arrested on Nov. 30. Jose Alejandro Urueta-Cabral allegedly approached the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry, telling the Customs and Border Protection officer (CBPO) that he was born in East Los Angeles, California, and had attended Garfield High School. Allegedly, he further stated that he had been in Chihuahua with a sick relative for months and his passport had been stolen. The criminal complaint alleges that the CBPO observed Urueta-Cabral as jumpy and avoiding eye contact, and referred him for further inspection, where Urueta-Cabral admitted he was born in Delicias, Chihuahua, Mexico. Further investigation revealed Urueta-Cabral had been previously removed from the U.S. eight times, the last being on March 19 through Nogales, Arizona. Additionally, Urueta-Cabral, has a criminal record that includes multiple narcotics-related convictions, second-degree burglary, and second-degree robbery. He is now charged with illegal re-entry.

On Nov. 25, Cuban national Yusmany Santiesteban-Acosta allegedly presented a State of Texas Commercial Drivers License bearing his name, photograph and date of birth at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry. A system alerted the CBPO of a previous manslaughter conviction, which had resulted in a 10-year prison sentence in December 2022. Santiesteban-Acosta served two days of the decade-long sentence. The criminal complaint further alleges that Santiesteban-Acosta stated he was a legal permanent resident. Immigration records indicate he was removed from the U.S. to Mexico on July 28.

Orlando Cuba-Trencilio, also a Cuban national, was arrested approximately seven miles west of the Tornillo Port of Entry near Clint. Cuba-Trencilio was previously removed from the U.S. to Mexico on Oct. 1 and has multiple prior convictions including attempted murder in the second degree and aggravated battery.

Mexican national Primitivo Castro-Lopez was found in the Bastrop County Jail, where he had been detained following a DWI arrest. Castro-Lopez has been removed from the U.S. three times and has been previously convicted for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Mexican national Blas Bautista-Vences was found in the Travis County Jail, where he had also been booked on a DWI charge. Bautista-Vences has four prior DWI convictions and four prior removals, as well as past convictions for possession of a controlled substance, assault causing bodily injury, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

Marcos Vasquez Matute, also a Mexican national, was found in the Williamson County Jail.  Matute has been twice removed from the U.S. and has been convicted of five DWIs.

In Eagle Pass, USBP agents arrested Salvadoran national Jaime Bladmir Hernandez-Garcia, who has been removed from the U.S. twice, the most recent being on April 11. Hernandez-Garcia was convicted in January for his fifth DUI. In 2021, he was convicted for driving while his license was revoked. He is charged with illegal re-entry.

These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.

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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AUSTIN, Texas – A Cedar Park man was arrested Thursday on criminal charges related to his alleged wire fraud.

According to court documents, from no later than 2018 through September 2023, Daniel Vincent Attridge, 48, allegedly defrauded multiple individuals whom he convinced to lend him money. An indictment filed earlier this week alleges that Attridge told the individuals that he traded commodities such as petroleum, precious metals and cryptocurrencies through his company called Nilsatis, Inc.  He allegedly told them that, if they lent him money, he would use the funds to trade said commodities and that he could pay interest on the funds at relatively high rates due to the profits he would earn from trading.

The indictment alleges that Attridge entered into loan agreements with the individuals, some of which listed Nilsatis, Inc. as the borrower and others which listed Attridge named himself as the borrower. In one agreement, Nilsatis, Inc. allegedly agreed to repay a loan of $150,000 plus 3% monthly interest or at an interest rate “reflective of trade performance” after 24 months. In another agreement, Nilsatis, Inc. allegedly agreed to pay 9.1% interest for a six-week period on a $20,000 loan. Attridge allegedly agreed to pay interest of at least 25% on a $50,000 loan for the period of Dec. 5, 2022 to June 1, 2023. And in two other agreements, Nilsatis, Inc. and Attridge allegedly agreed to repay loans of $125,000 and $10,000 with 21% interest each.

The indictment alleges that Attridge used only a small fraction of the loan proceeds to trade commodities and used the majority to pay personal living expenses or to pay principal and interest to lenders, failing to disclose that he had spent and would spend most of their money in way that did not generate profits.

Attridge is charged with five counts of wire fraud. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

The FBI San Antonio White Collar Crime Task Force is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Buie is prosecuting the case.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of a scam or fraud scheme, report it to ic3.gov, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

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 – A Cotulla man was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 121 months in prison for transporting fentanyl and methamphetamine from Eagle Pass to San Antonio.

According to court documents, in October 2021, Jesus Roberto Tellez, 42, was seen picking up a backpack containing narcotics from an Eagle Pass residence. Eagle Pass Police Department officers initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle occupied by Tellez and further investigation revealed that the backpack contained a total of nine bundles with 4.3 kilograms of methamphetamine and 498.4 grams of fentanyl pills. Tellez admitted to twice previously trafficking narcotics from Eagle Pass to San Antonio in the preceding four months.

Tellez was indicted Dec. 1, 2021, and pleaded guilty on Aug. 20, 2025. He was sentenced on Dec. 3 by U.S. District Judge Jason Pulliam.

U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and Eagle Pass Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Spears prosecuted the case.

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SAN ANTONIO – A previously convicted felon was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 25 years in prison for possessing nearly 10,000 fentanyl pills intended for distribution along with a firearm.

According to court documents, Tyrell Ezekiel Darden, 25, of San Antonio, had two active felony arrest warrants from other matters. When law enforcement executed those warrants in July 2023, Darden was found attempting to flush dozens of blue pills down a toilet. In addition to the flushed pills, law enforcement officers found Darden in possession of more than 9,800 fentanyl pills that were shaped to look like Oxycodone pills and containing the “M30” stamp commonly associated with Oxycodone pills. Officers also discovered multiple firearms in the residence, including several that had been stolen, as well as $4,703 in U.S. currency and other high value items such as jewelry.

Darden was indicted on Nov. 1, 2023, for one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.  He was arrested on Nov. 9, 2023, and pleaded guilty to both charges on June 18, 2025.

U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and Alamo Heights Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John Fedock prosecuted the case.

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DEL RIO, Texas – A Uvalde man was sentenced in a federal court to 120 months in prison for possession of child pornography.

According to court documents, on Feb. 3, 2021, Gabriel Garcia, 38, used the messaging app known as Kik to upload a video containing prepubescent child sexual abuse material (CSAM). An investigation revealed the account belonged to Garcia, and on Nov. 14, 2022, agents executed a federal search warrant on his home in Uvalde. A forensic analysis of Garcia’s cell phone revealed 67 images and six video files containing prepubescent CSAM that he had received using the Kik messenger app.

Garcia was arrested Nov. 14, 2022, and pleaded guilty June 26, 2023. He was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses.

U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nallely Duarte prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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EL PASO, Texas – A Clint man was sentenced in a federal court in El Paso today to 115 months in prison for conspiracy to transport aliens.

According to court documents, Jesus David Escareno aka El Gerver, 19, acted as the leader of an alien smuggling cell operating in the Western District of Texas and the District of New Mexico. From July 2024 through February 2025, Escareno conspired with dozens of drivers to pick up and transport aliens in furtherance of their illegal entry into the United States. In total, he was directly involved in the transportation of more than 100 aliens.

Escareno was arrested April 7 and pleaded guilty on Sept. 9. U.S. District Judge Leon Schydlower presided over the case.

U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mathew Engelbaum 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 Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

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EL PASO, Texas – An El Paso man was sentenced Monday in a federal court to 48 months in prison for kidnapping.

According to court documents, on Jan. 20, Leland Alexander Drumheller, 20, sent a text message to his ex-girlfriend asking her to return his sweatshirt. The two agreed to meet and did so inside Drumheller’s vehicle in front of the ex-girlfriend’s apartment. During the interaction, Drumheller became enraged and grabbed his ex-girlfriend, preventing her from exiting the vehicle as he drove away toward Chapparal, New Mexico.

At multiple traffic lights, the kidnapping victim tried to escape, but Drumheller prevented her from doing so by grabbing her hair and sweatshirt. At one point, the victim received a phone call from her current boyfriend. When the victim told her boyfriend to “call the cops,” Drumheller grabbed the phone and threw it outside the vehicle as he continued to drive the victim to a desert area in Chaparral.

In Chaparral, Drumheller ordered the victim to get out of the vehicle and demanded she get on her knees. He placed his cell phone to the back of her head, leading the victim to believe the object was a gun. Drumheller told her, “If you play me again, it’ll get worse.” He threatened to shoot her if she followed him and then got back in his vehicle and drove away, leaving the victim alone in the desert.

Drumheller was charged with one count kidnapping and arrested on Feb. 3. He pleaded guilty on Sept. 2. In addition to the four years in prison, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone sentenced Drumheller to five years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

The FBI and El Paso Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Valenzuela prosecuted the case.

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AUSTIN, Texas – Austin Emergency Center, LLC, Austin ER, LLC, AEC ER 4, LLC, Pahala Ventures, LLC, AEC Physicians, PLLC, and AEC Pflugerville, LLC (collectively, “Austin Emergency Center”) have agreed to pay the United States $429,231 to resolve overbilling allegations under the False Claims Act.

The settlement resolves allegations that Austin Emergency Center, which operates and provides medical services at standalone emergency medical facilities in the Austin area, submitted inflated claims for reimbursement to the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program (FEHBP). The United States alleged that Austin Emergency Center charged the FEHBP more than it charged cash-paying patients for certain COVID-19 tests during the period from June 18, 2020, through April 2, 2021, and up-coded evaluation and management services for drive-through COVID-19 screening during the period from April 13, 2020, through April 2, 2021.

“Financially capitalizing on crisis and the fear and misfortune of others is at the heart of every unlawful act committed by the worst elements of our society. Doing so under the guise of being a healthcare provider, represents the worst of who we are and further erodes our collective trust in the healthcare system,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Those who have used or plan to use healthcare as a means to unlawfully enrich themselves should take note that the Department of Justice is actively looking for opportunities to recover stolen pandemic-era funds on behalf of the American people.”

“During a public health emergency, providers exploited federal employees’ health benefits for profit at the taxpayers’ expense,” said Special Agent in Charge Derek M. Holt of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Office of the Inspector General (OIG). “We applaud our investigative staff and our partners at the Department of Justice for continuing to hold these providers accountable.”

OPM OIG led the investigation of this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Parnham negotiated the settlement on behalf of the government.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

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SAN ANTONIO – United States Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced today that federal prosecutors in the district filed 233 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from Nov. 14 to Nov. 20. Charges were brought against individuals with multiple prior removals, DWI convictions, kidnapping convictions, and at least two with prior convictions for sex crimes, including child sex crimes.

Salvadoran national Elmer Alexander Ramirez Cerna was charged with illegal re-entry in Austin. Ramirez Cerna was found in the Williamson County Jail on Nov. 4. He was convicted of sexual assault of a child in 2017 and removed from the U.S. to El Salvador in April 2019.

In Del Rio, USBP agents arrested Honduran national Noel Jose Funez-Antunez. Funez-Antunez was previously deported twice, most recently in June 2024 after he was convicted of sexual assault in Houston and sentenced to two years of confinement. Funez-Antunez was also convicted in 2010 for kidnapping.

Honduran nationals Marcos Joel Contreras-Max and Edwin Javier Chinchilla-Lopez were arrested during a multi-agency operation conducted in San Antonio on Nov. 16. Databases revealed that both individuals were in the United States illegally and had previously been removed from the U.S. to Honduras. The two defendants are each charged with one count of illegal re-entry. If convicted, they face up to two years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.

In El Paso, Mexican national Miriam Lizeth Gutierrez-Montanez was arrested and charged with human smuggling after she allegedly attempted to enter the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry with two minors in her vehicle. A criminal complaint alleges that the Customs and Border Protection officer received a system-generated alert that Gutierrez-Montanez was a possible child smuggler. Further inspection allegedly revealed that the minors were found to be Mexican citizens and not in possession of any legal documents to enter or be present in the U.S.

A U.S. citizen was also arrested and charged with human smuggling in El Paso. U.S. Border Patrol agents allegedly tracked Luis Ramon Carmona to the Cielo Vista Mall after he had picked up seven illegal aliens near the U.S./Mexico border. All eight individuals were placed under arrest and transported to the Clint Border Patrol Station for further processing. A criminal complaint alleges that Carmona was being paid $500 per illegal alien and that he had participated in the same smuggling scheme once before.

Mexican national Agustin Cano-Quintero was charged with illegal re-entry after he was found in the Travis County Jail. Cano-Quintero has been convicted three times for driving while intoxicated and has also been previously convicted for improper entry by an alien as well as illegal re-entry.

On Tuesday, USBP agents arrested Mexican national Amado Tovar-Tovar, who has three DWI convictions and, in August 2024, was removed from the U.S. to Mexico for the fourth time.

Pablo Orozco-Vasquez, also a Mexican national, was arrested near Webb after being previously deported for the fifth time in April. Orozco-Vasquez has been convicted of two DWI charges, along with reckless driving, improper entry and 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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WACO, Texas – A Brownsville man was arrested in Waco on criminal charges related to his alleged possession with intent to distribute a mixture or substance containing fentanyl.

According to court documents, Jaime Vanegas, 28, was the driver and sole occupant of a vehicle that was pulled over in a traffic stop by a Texas Department of Public Safety (TX DPS) trooper on Nov. 11. After a canine alerted to the presence of narcotics and during a probable cause search of the vehicle, the TX DPS trooper allegedly located a trap door under the center console of the vehicle and recovered 10 plastic wrapped brick-shaped packages containing a white powdery substance. A criminal complaint alleges that the total weight of the substance and packaging was approximately 24 pounds, and that the substance tested positive for a mixture for fentanyl and cocaine. An additional search of Vanegas’s electronic devices allegedly revealed images of bundled bulk cash, the interior and exterior of the hidden trap door discovered by the DPS trooper, narcotics, and packages consistent with the plastic wrapped packages the trooper found inside the compartment.

Vanegas made his initial appearance in federal court on Nov. 19 and is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute a mixture or substance containing fentanyl. If convicted, he 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 the announcement.

TX DPS is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Blanton is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio woman was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez to 12 months and one day in prison and ordered to pay $492,841.78 in restitution for wire fraud.

According to court documents, Leticia Arceneaux, 48, worked full time from home as a human resources supervisor for an agency within the Department of Energy. Beginning in or around August 2020 and continuing through on or around April 2022, Arceneaux unlawfully enriched herself by applying for and receiving Covid relief loans in the amount to $480,100 and converting the funds to her own personal use.

In August 2020, Arceneaux submitted an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) application on behalf of a volleyball club, claiming she needed the EIDL proceeds to continue operating the volleyball club. Later that month, the Small Business Administration funded an EIDL in the amount of $149,900 to Arceneaux. Instead of using the EIDL funds for volleyball related expenses, Arceneaux utilized the funds for her own personal expenses, including a golf cart and the installation of a swimming pool at her primary residence.

In May 2021, Arceneaux submitted a loan modification request to the SBA seeking additional funds for the volleyball club. Relying on Arceneaux’s false representations, the SBA disbursed $91,000 on or about Aug. 9, 2021. On Aug. 11, 2021, Arceneaux transferred approximately $31,000 of the EIDL funds from the volleyball club’s business account to her personal account.

In April 2022, Arceneaux applied for a second loan modification seeking additional funds to operate the volleyball club. Relying again on the false representations, the SBA disbursed $239,100 to Arceneaux on or about April 29, 2022. Arceneaux converted the funds for personal use, using approximately $72,000 of EIDL funds to pay down personal credit card debt.

U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

The Department of Energy Office of Inspector General investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina Playton prosecuted the case.

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EL PASO, Texas – A New Mexico man was sentenced in a federal court in El Paso on Wednesday to 262 months in prison for trafficking approximately 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl.

According to court documents, Edgar Omar Martinez, 43, of Anthony, was arrested on March 14 after FBI agents seized approximately 17,000 fentanyl pills from his vehicle. Further investigation revealed Martinez received the pills from a co-conspirator two weeks prior to the seizure and expected to be paid $3,200 for his participation in the drug trafficking conspiracy.

Martinez was indicted on April 9 for one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. He pleaded guilty to both charges on Aug. 26. U.S. District Judge Leon Schydlower presided over the case.

U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

The FBI investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Myers and Michael Williams prosecuted the case.

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AUSTIN, Texas – An Austin man previously convicted of two federal drug offenses was sentenced Wednesday to 324 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, plus 24 months in prison for violating the requirements of a previously imposed term of supervised release by U.S. District Judge David Ezra.

According to court documents, Trinity Duke Smith, 50, was released from prison in December 2020. He was still on supervised release on March 26, 2024, when the FBI and Austin Police Department executed a search warrant on his residence.

The search revealed a plastic grocery bag in a kitchen cabinet that contained approximately 197 grams of suspected methamphetamine, a digital scale, sandwich bags, latex gloves, and pieces of white insulation. Two large garbage bags containing 9.2 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine were also found underneath insulation in Smith’s attic.

A Drug Enforcement Administration lab test in May 2024 determined the substance found in the kitchen to be 188.3 grams of 91% pure methamphetamine and determined the substance found in the attic to be 8.899 kilograms of 100% pure methamphetamine.

Smith was indicted June 18, 2024, for one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He pleaded guilty in August 2025.

U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

The FBI, Austin Police Department, and Texas Rangers investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Castillo prosecuted the case.

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SAN ANTONIO – Two Honduran nationals made their initial appearances in a federal court in San Antonio today following criminal charges related to their alleged illegal re-entry.

According to court documents, Marcos Joel Contreras-Max and Edwin Javier Chinchilla-Lopez were arrested during a multi-agency operation that was conducted in San Antonio on the morning of Nov. 16. Individuals arrested were transported to the South Texas ICE Processing Center, where databases revealed that Contreras-Max and Chinchilla-Lopez were in the United States illegally and had previously been removed from the U.S. to Honduras on or about Aug. 1, 2023, and March 14, 2025, respectively.

Contreras-Max and Chinchilla-Lopez are each charged with one count of illegal re-entry. If convicted, they face up to two years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The multi-agency operation was conducted by the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), targeting suspected members of the foreign terrorist organization, Tren de Aragua. The operation resulted in the arrest of more than 140 individuals, who were taken into ICE custody for further investigation and immigration proceedings.

U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Texas Department of Public Safety are investigating the case.

This operation and its resulting arrests are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF San Antonio comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, Enforcement and Removal Operations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Border Patrol, IRS-Criminal Investigations, Texas Department of Public Safety, and the South Texas - High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.

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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WACO, Texas – An Austin woman was sentenced in a federal court in Waco today to 37 months in prison for embezzling federal funds for personal use while serving as the executive director of the Killeen Housing Authority (KHA).

According to court documents, Deadra Johnson, 53, fraudulently obtained KHA funds and used them to pay for her personal expenses, including rent, utilities, auto maintenance, internet service, airline tickets, and furniture. A portion of the funds also went towards the purchase of a new vehicle.  In an attempt to conceal her actions, Johnson developed multiple kickback schemes.

Johnson was arrested on Jan. 17, 2024, and charged with theft of government property. She pleaded guilty on Feb. 11, 2025. In addition to three-years imprisonment, U.S. District Judge David Counts ordered Johnson to pay $297,473.30 in restitution.

“In stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars while overseeing the Killeen Housing Authority, Deadra Johnson selfishly betrayed not just the federal government and American taxpayers, but also the hundreds of families who depended on KHA services,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “My office is proud to partner with federal, state, and local authorities to protect the interests of this Nation, to protect our local communities, and to ensure that fraudsters like this defendant are brought to justice.”

“Deadra Johnson exploited her position and violated the public trust by stealing federal funds that were intended to help provide housing for the most vulnerable people in our community. She orchestrated a plot to use that money to pay for a life of luxury for herself and her family members, which included purchasing multiple vehicles, first-class plane tickets, and paying for other personal expenses,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Lawler with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG). “HUD OIG will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to diligently pursue and hold accountable individuals who take advantage of their positions of trust to defraud HUD programs.”

“Our responsibility is to protect the integrity of federal programs and uphold the trust the American people place in us,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Alex Doran for FBI San Antonio. “Deadra Johnson's actions diverted critical government funds away from individuals who depend on them during their most challenging moments. We remain committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to safeguard public resources and ensure they reach those they were intended to help.”

HUD OIG and the FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Gloff prosecuted the case.

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SAN ANTONIO – United States Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced today that federal prosecutors in the district filed 1,709 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases since the beginning of the six-week government shutdown.

“Despite not getting paid for the past six weeks, the Western District of Texas maintained its diligent pursuit of bringing to justice those who would violate our immigration laws,” said Mr. Simmons. “I’m so proud of and thankful for all of our Western District of Texas team members who remained committed to the cause despite the difficult circumstances imposed upon them.”

On Nov. 10, U.S. citizen Juan Jesus Carranza Jr., of Laredo, was arrested for allegedly transporting five undocumented aliens. A criminal complaint alleges that Carranza led Texas Department of Public Safety troopers and deputies from the McMullen County and Atascosa County Sheriff’s Offices on a high-speed chase, driving a vehicle that had been reported stolen out of Bexar County. Carranza eventually crashed on State Highway 16 in Bexar County, allegedly bailing out of the vehicle with the five aliens. Carranza and four of the aliens were arrested and transported to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office. The fifth alien was injured, transported to a hospital for treatment, then transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for immigration processing. A DPS trooper involved in the vehicle crash sustained an injury, breaking his arm in two places and requiring surgery. Carranza was charged with alien smuggling and, if convicted, faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

On Oct. 15, U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Gerardo Francisco Hernandez-Acosta, a U.S. citizen, after he was allegedly observed picking up four illegal aliens in Fort Hancock. According to a criminal complaint, Hernandez-Acosta expected to be paid $100 per alien to transport them from the pickup location to the Greyhound bus station in El Paso. Hernandez-Acosta’s lengthy criminal record spans from 1983 to 2021 and includes six convictions for burglary of a vehicle, along with five additional convictions for property theft. He was indicted on Nov. 12 for one count of conspiracy to transport aliens and one count of transporting aliens for financial gain.

Two illegal aliens were arrested in San Antonio in late October on criminal charges related to their alleged firearm possession. Derian Lenin Estupinan Chacon, 20, of Ecuador, and Francarlos Requena Vasquez, 22, of Venezuela, came to the attention of Homeland Security Investigations and the San Antonio Police Department in connection to SAPD’s investigation of a shooting. On Oct. 15, as part of their investigation, SAPD officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle allegedly driven by Estupinan. A criminal complaint alleges that the front passenger in the vehicle was identified as Requena and that SAPD officers observed a .40 caliber handgun in plain view on one of the vehicle seats. According to the complaint, Requena had recently purchased the handgun on Facebook Marketplace, but Estupinan was in physical possession of handgun at the time of the traffic stop.

Manuel Elias Ramos-Santos, a Honduran national, was arrested in the San Antonio area and charged with one count of alien in possession of a firearm on Oct. 26. Ramos-Santos was pulled over by a Castle Hills Police Department officer for a speeding violation. A criminal complaint alleges that Ramos-Santos was not in possession of a driver’s license, leading to him being detained and then referred to ICE. A search of his vehicle allegedly led to the discovery of a 9mm handgun with a fully loaded magazine. The complaint also alleges that Ramos-Santos was in possession of a counterfeit $100 bill, a counterfeit Social Security card, and a counterfeit Legal Permanent Resident Card.

Mexican national Florentino Cortes Uribe was arrested Oct. 28 after he allegedly sold cocaine and firearms to an undercover law enforcement officer on multiple occasions. A criminal complaint alleges that Uribe sold one ounce of cocaine to a San Antonio Police detective on Oct. 6 and said that he could also sell firearms to the officer. On Oct. 14, Uribe again sold an ounce of cocaine to the detective, along with an AM-15 multi-caliber pistol that the undercover officer stated would be smuggled into Mexico, according to the complaint. On Oct. 28, Uribe met with the SAPD detective for a third time, selling another ounce of cocaine and two pistols. Uribe is charged with one count of firearms trafficking and one count of illegal alien in possession of a firearm.

In El Paso, Mexican national Hugo Fabian Cazarez-Garcia was arrested on Oct. 30, after he claimed his entry documents were stolen, and he was denied entry into the U.S. through the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry. Cazarez-Garcia has previously been removed from the U.S. to Mexico eight times, the most recent being Dec. 5, 2024, following an eight-month imprisonment for his second DUI. In addition to his two DUIs, Cazarez-Garcia has twice been convicted for burglary.

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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DEL RIO, Texas– A federal jury convicted a Kansas man for one count of importation of methamphetamine and one count of conspiracy to import methamphetamine.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on March 16, Juan Antonio Antuna Jr., 32, of Wichita, drove a white van bearing Mexican license plates as he arrived at the Del Rio International Bridge to enter into the United States from Mexico. Antuna presented a Kansas driver’s license, declared to U.S. Customs and Border Protection that he possessed merchandise and food products, and was directed to secondary inspection. During the vehicle inspection, CBP officers located food and vinyl signs, which Antuna had declared. They also located two concrete pedestals. The pedestals were inspected further and found to contain a white powdery substance. The substance tested positive for 6.06 kgs of methamphetamine.

The jury trial began on Oct. 30, resulting in a guilty verdict on Oct. 31. A sentencing date has not yet been determined.

U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Fleming and Joseph Duarte II 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).

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AUSTIN, Texas – An Indian national was sentenced in a federal court in Austin to 97 months in prison and was ordered to pay $2,515,780 in restitution for conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to court documents, Dhruv Rajeshbhai Mangukiya, 21, participated in a scheme to defraud elderly individuals out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and gold. On multiple occasions, Mangukiya, who was living in the United States on a student visa, received gold and cash from the fraud victims, and split the proceeds between himself and his coconspirators.

The fraud scheme identified vulnerable individuals, often elderly, through various online phishing methods, including falsely notifying the target victims of a possible fraudulent charge on a credit card or other typer of account. A member of the conspiracy would then contact the target victim by phone, falsely claim to be a U.S. Treasury Department or other government official and tell the victim that they would need to make a deposit of cash, gold, or other item of financial value, in order to resolve an investigation or prevent financial loss. A courier would coordinate the pickup of the deposits, either at the victim’s home or in the parking lot of a local business.

In one case, a conspirator told a victim in Granite Shoals to withdraw funds and provide them to the U.S. Treasury Department in order to avoid prosecution. The conspirator convinced the victim that his identity had been stolen, and multiple counterfeit bank accounts had been set up in the victim’s name, linking him to drug cartels and putting him at risk for money laundering charges. At the direction of the fraud conspirators, the victim made three separate cash withdrawals and transfers to the couriers, amounting to $180,000.

A second victim, an elderly Fort Worth woman, was contacted by a conspirator claiming to be with the Amazon fraud department, who told the woman her social security number had been stolen and multiple bank accounts opened in her name were tied to a money laundering scheme. She withdrew $30,000 and provided the money to a courier, coconspirator Kishan Rajeshkumar Patel.

Patel was arrested and his phones searched, revealing messages between Patel and Mangukiya, as well as two other individuals labeled as “Hunter” and “Master.” Mangukiya was arrested at his residence in New Jersey on Dec. 5, 2024. While executing a search warrant, agents found that Mangukiya possessed a printer used to print fake identification documents, along with $73,422.96 in cash. Mangukiya admitted that he would receive 2% of the fraud proceeds he received. He also admitted that he had recruited Patel to be a courier, and that they were working with “Hunter” and “Master.”

Mangukiya and Patel were charged in a two-count superseding indictment on Dec. 3, 2024. Patel pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud on March 18, while Mangukiya pleaded guilty on June 16 to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. On June 17, Patel was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison.

U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Granite Shoals Police Department and the Fort Worth Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Henneke prosecuted the case.

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EL PASO, Texas – Manuel Valenzuela, 35, a lawful permanent resident residing in El Paso, pleaded guilty in federal court to four charges related to his role in a scheme to smuggle children from Mexico into the United States.

According to court documents, members of an alien smuggling organization brought unaccompanied alien children between the ages of five and 13 illegally into the U.S. from Juarez, Mexico, sometimes using candy laced with THC to sedate them during smuggling events. 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. Once inside the United States, the children were then transported to El Paso. During one smuggling event, one of the children was taken to a local hospital and diagnosed with THC poisoning.

Valenzuela conspired in the human smuggling scheme by picking up the children after they were smuggled into the country and providing payment to the drivers. Valenzuela was arrested on Aug. 30 with co-defendant Dianne Guadian, a U.S. citizen. Valenzuela, Guadian, and two additional co-defendants, Mexican nationals Susana Guadian and Daniel Guadian, were charged in a five-count indictment on Sept. 24.

Valenzuela pleaded guilty Nov. 6 to four of the counts: one count of conspiracy to transport aliens and three counts of aiding and abetting in the smuggling of aliens for profit. He faces a mandatory minimum of 11 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.

Homeland Security Investigations 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.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Hines for the Western District of Texas and Trial Attorney Bethany Allen of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting the case.

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.

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).

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SAN ANTONIO – A naturalized U.S. citizen previously convicted for child pornography charges was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio after pleading guilty to one count of unlawful procurement of citizenship or naturalization.

On Wednesday, Carlos Fabian Velez, 54, who is already serving 210 months in prison for distribution of child pornography, was sentenced to time served by U.S. District Judge Jason K. Pulliam. Velez will continue to serve the remainder of the more than 17-year prison sentence he received in 2023 and is now subject to mandatory denaturalization.

Velez pleaded guilty in July to making false, sworn statements on his naturalization application. Specifically, in response to the question, “Have you ever committed a crime or offense for which you were not arrested” Velez answered, “No.” In fact, Velez knew that he had committed the crime and offenses of possession, receipt and distribution of child pornography. The child pornography charges to which he pleaded guilty occurred within five years of his application, rendering Velez unable to satisfy the five-year eligibility requirement of good and moral character.

“Obtaining American citizenship is the goal of so many who come to our great country, but we will do all we can to ensure those who commit crimes against children and then lie about it never receive the honor,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “My office will continue to preserve and protect the sanctity of the naturalization process, and we will aggressively prosecute those who seek to abuse it.”

The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate, and the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fidel Esparza III and 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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AUSTIN, Texas – A convicted felon from Kyle pleaded guilty in a federal court in Austin Tuesday to three charges stemming from three armed robberies he committed in June and July.

According to court documents, Yael Williams Jr., 38, used a firearm during robberies at a Subway restaurant and two 7-11 stores in Austin over the summer. In the presence of store employees, Williams took cash and other property by force and by threatening the employees with a .22 caliber revolver. During his robbery of the Subway restaurant, Williams fired several shots at two bystanders, one of whom was attempting to intervene and prevent the robbery.

Williams pleaded guilty to one count of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and two counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He faces a mandatory minimum of 24 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 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.

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DEL RIO, Texas – A Honduran national was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio Thursday to 10 years in prison for attempting to import child sexual abuse material into the United States.

According to court documents, Nolber Rolando Rosales-Rosales, 32, arrived at the Camino Real International Bridge, No. 2, in Eagle Pass on Oct. 7, 2024. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer referred him to Secondary Inspection, where a basic search was conducted on his cell phone. During the search, a CBP officer observed several suggestive images of young girls and Rosales-Rosales admitted to possessing child pornography via a Telegram account. Further investigation into the account resulted in the discovery of six videos depicting child sexual abuse material.

Rosales-Rosales was indicted on Nov. 6, 2024, on one count of use of visual depiction of sexually explicit depictions of a minor for importation into the United States, one count of transportation of sexually explicit depictions of a minor, and one count of possession and access with intent to view child prepubescent pornography. He pleaded guilty to the importation charge on April 2. 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.

Homeland Security Investigations and CBP investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Fleming, Nallely Duarte, and Daisy Gonzales 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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SAN ANTONIO – A Honduran national made his initial appearance in a federal court in San Antonio on Thursday, charged with assaulting two detention officers at the Karnes County Immigration Processing Center.

According to court documents, Jorge Alberto Maradiaga-Carias began arguing with a detention officer (DO) and refused to comply with the officer’s instructions, making provocative gestures toward the officer. A criminal complaint affidavit alleges that after the DO called his supervisor for assistance, Maradiaga-Carias made threats to assault the DO and advised other detainees that they did not have to listen to the DOs because they were not ICE officers.

The affidavit further alleges that when the supervisor arrived to assist, Maradiaga-Carias grabbed him and struck the supervisor in the head before putting him in a head lock. The initial officer involved attempted to restrain Maradiaga-Carias, who allegedly managed to break one leg free and kick him on the side of the head twice, with one of the kicks forcing the DO to fall backward and hit his head on a brick wall.

During the struggle, Maradiaga-Carias allegedly attempted to gain access to the supervising DO’s Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) aerosol spray canister on his duty belt but was unsuccessful. Additional DOs arrived and assisted in securing Maradiaga-Carias with handcuffs. The two DOs were medically evaluated, with one receiving treatment for minor injuries and placed on medical leave while the other was treated and diagnosed with a mild concussion.

Maradiaga-Carias is charged with one count of assaulting, resisting or impeding a federal officer(s). If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

ICE is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Wannarka 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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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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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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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).

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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