Federal agents in Texas say they intercepted a smuggling attempt involving drugs in the body, arrested a violent immigration suspect, and sent a human trafficker to prison in three of the week’s most alarming border-related cases.

Here are the biggest immigration enforcement actions announced this week:

1. ICE Officer Injured, Vehicle Destroyed During Arrest in Dallas
A 23-year-old Guatemalan national allegedly assaulted a federal officer and destroyed a government vehicle during an arrest attempt, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

On July 24, ICE’s Dallas-based Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) posted to social media:

A follow-up post elaborated that Abelardez had “attempted to evade apprehension during an immigration enforcement operation, resulting in the injury of a federal officer and destruction of a government owned vehicle.”

Authorities did not specify the extent of the officer’s injuries or what charges Abelardez may face, and no booking records were available as of press time.

2. CBP Finds Fentanyl in Man’s Rectum at El Paso Port
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says it stopped a fentanyl smuggling attempt involving a U.S. citizen who allegedly carried over 130 grams of the synthetic opioid internally.

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On July 23, CBP posted on social media:

The post included a photo of the seized bundles, which were wrapped in condoms, and linked to a CBP press release stating the arrest occurred on July 18 at the Bridge of the Americas (BOTA) pedestrian crossing in El Paso.

CBP officials claimed that a canine unit alerted to the man, prompting an exam at a local medical facility, where two foreign objects were detected and later passed. One contained a white powder (81.6 grams), and the other contained blue pills (50.8 grams); both apparently tested positive for fentanyl.

“Smuggling fentanyl internally is exceptionally dangerous… think twice and not risk their life or liberty,” said CBP El Paso Port Director Ray Provencio in the release.

The suspect, a 56-year-old U.S. citizen whose name has not been released, was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations to face charges.

3. Laredo Man Sentenced for Smuggling 101 People in Locked Trailer
A South Texas man was sentenced this week to over five years in prison for smuggling more than 100 illegal aliens, including 13 minors, in a trailer with no ventilation, The Dallas Express reported.

According to a July 22 press release, Juan Manuel Aguirre, 49, received a 63-month sentence followed by three years of supervised release from Judge Keith Ellison. Prosecutors said Aguirre had a history of human smuggling offenses and knowingly endangered the lives of the individuals he transported.

The incident occurred on December 2, 2024, when federal agents observed people being loaded into a white trailer at a Laredo warehouse. Officers stopped the vehicle and found 101 individuals—men, women, and children as young as 13—packed into what authorities described as a “sealed, locked, dark, and unventilated trailer.”

Many reported difficulty breathing and feared for their lives. The trailer doors reportedly had to be pried open with a bolt cutter.

“Human smuggling is an incredibly dangerous enterprise, and it requires the trafficker to care absolutely nothing about the lives and safety of those they transport,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “Fortunately, there were no deaths in this case…”

Aguirre pleaded guilty in February and will remain in custody until he is transferred to federal prison.

Texas Takedown Weekly is a recurring series from The Dallas Express chronicling the most significant immigration-related arrests and interdictions across the state.
Read last week’s edition here: Texas Takedown Weekly: Capital Murder Arrest, Cocaine Seizure, ICE Officer Dragged (July 18).