More than 1,150 illegal aliens near the Mexican border – including more than 600 in Texas – were charged this month with federal immigration crimes.
U.S. attorneys in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas charged more than 1,150 illegal aliens in early June with violating immigration law, according to a press release from the Department of Justice. Federal officials in West and South Texas filed 612 total immigration cases, including against violent felons, human smugglers, and illegals who were previously deported.
The Texas Arrests
The Southern District of Texas filed 202 cases from May 30 to June 5, according to a press release from U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei. Officials charged 129 aliens for “illegally entering the country,” and charged 63 for “felony reentry after prior removal.” Seven cases involved “human smuggling.”
“Most of those individuals have prior felonies such as narcotics, violent crime, immigration crimes and more,” the release reads.
One suspect is Luis Humberto Gonzalez-Sanchez, who allegedly harbored 16 illegal aliens in his home in Mercedes, a small town near the Texas-Mexico border, according to the release. He allegedly sheltered more than 100 illegals in the last six months, for each of whom he was reportedly paid $150. He could face up to 10 years in prison.
Six Mexican nationals are also facing charges for “unlawfully returning without any permission,” the release said. Juan Manuel De La Cruz-Mejia, Jose Luis Tostado-Flores, Jesus Morales-Vargas, Jose Patricio Rios-Rojas, Juan Manuel Alvarado-Gonzalez, and Oscar Vicente Perez-Lopez had previously been convicted of illegal entry from 2015 to 2023. They were sentenced to federal prison for these charges, but authorities recently found them again in the Rio Grande Valley. They could face up to 20 years in prison.
The Western District of Texas filed 410 new immigration cases from May 30 to June 5, according to a press release from U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons. The charges include illegal reentry and human smuggling.
Officials charged Mexican national Albert Sanchez-Jaimes with one count of illegal reentry, according to the release. They found him at the Burnet County Jail, where he faced charges of boating while intoxicated and marijuana possession. According to court records, he was booked on May 25 and placed on detainer for Austin ICE and U.S. Marshals. He was previously arrested on charges including assault, failure to identify a fugitive, and driving without a license.
The ICE Fugitive Operations Team arrested Mexican national Daniel Edgar Perez-Cortez on June 5 on a referral from Waco Crime Stoppers, according to the release. He was previously convicted in 2024 for illegal reentry. He had also been convicted of driving while intoxicated, possessing prohibited weapons, and deadly conduct by discharging a firearm.
Border Patrol agents also arrested two Honduran nationals for illegal reentry in Eagle Pass on June 2, the release said. Ariel Antonio Lopez-Serrano was convicted in 2023 for human smuggling, and Jose Aparicio Diaz-Amaya returned after being deported three times.
Agents also arrested U.S. citizens Cynthia Guerrero and Berenice Stevens in El Paso on May 31, for allegedly trying to sneak seven people – including six children – into the country. “The minors had been given seven gummies of an unknown substance to make them sleep,” the release reads. Guerrero and Stevens were charged with human smuggling. Authorities also charged several Mexican nationals in other human smuggling busts.
Other Border Busts
The District of Arizona brought immigration charges against 199 suspects, according to the DOJ release. Officials filed 74 cases for illegal reentry and charged 104 aliens for illegal entry. They also charged 20 suspects allegedly “responsible for smuggling illegal aliens” into Arizona.
The Southern District of California filed 131 “border-related” cases, including for assaulting a federal officer, smuggling “controlled substances,” smuggling illegal aliens “for financial gain,” and illegal reentry.
The District of New Mexico filed 211 immigration and “border security-related” cases, the release said. Officials charged 67 people for illegal reentry, 5 for “alien smuggling,” 50 for illegal entry, and 88 for illegal entry in the new Military Zone.
Federal authorities made several large drug busts at the border last week, as The Dallas Express reported at the time. This week, the DOJ announced a major “narcotrafficker” had been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Earlier this month, officials also charged a father and son for aiding a Mexican cartel through their South Texas oil business.