Federal authorities and state authorities in Texas this week announced a string of cases involving denaturalization, border apprehensions, and a disturbing child smuggling ring that officials said involved drugging minors to bring them across the border.

San Antonio: Convicted Sex Offender Ordered to be Denaturalized

A naturalized U.S. citizen convicted on child pornography charges was sentenced in San Antonio for unlawfully obtaining citizenship, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.

Carlos Fabian Velez, 54, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful procurement of citizenship or naturalization. Prosecutors said Velez, who is already serving 210 months in prison for distributing child pornography, made false statements on his citizenship application by denying that he had ever committed a crime.

U.S. District Judge Jason K. Pulliam sentenced Velez to time served, meaning he will continue serving his previous sentence and face mandatory denaturalization.

“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,” U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons said in a press release.

Federal investigators from the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services participated in the case. Prosecutors said the matter falls under Project Safe Childhood, a Justice Department initiative launched in 2006 to combat child exploitation.

The announcement follows a June memo from the Department of Justice, which directed U.S. attorneys to prioritize denaturalization proceedings against naturalized citizens who commit serious crimes.

According to that memo, the Justice Department has ordered its civil division to “prioritize and maximally pursue denaturalization proceedings in all cases permitted by law and supported by the evidence,” according to an internal directive cited in a June report.

Legal experts interviewed for that NPR report expressed concern that the effort could erode constitutional protections and create “two levels of citizenship.” Others, such as Hans von Spakovsky of the Heritage Foundation, said it was necessary to protect the country from “predators, criminals, and terrorists.”

Texas DPS K9 Tracks “Special Interest Alien” from China

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A Texas Department of Public Safety tracking dog helped Border Patrol locate four women who allegedly crossed the Rio Grande illegally in Starr County, including what authorities described as a “special interest alien” from China, according to posts Tuesday from DPS officials.

Lt. Chris Olivarez of the Texas DPS said in a post on X that K9 Zita “successfully led troopers and agents to four female illegal immigrants, including one special interest alien from China.” All four were taken into custody and transferred to federal agents.

The post was later shared by the Texas DPS South Texas Region account, which called the operation “outstanding teamwork securing the Texas border.”

The term special interest alien refers to a non-U.S. national flagged due to potential national security concerns or travel from countries identified as posing elevated risks.

In Washington, lawmakers recently advanced the Special Interest Alien Reporting Act of 2025 (H.R. 275), which requires the Department of Homeland Security to publish monthly reports detailing encounters with such individuals, including their countries of origin and where they were apprehended.

“Americans deserve to know who is coming into our country—especially when national security is at stake,” said Republican Rep. Nick LaLota of New York, who voted for the bill. He added that the measure ensures Congress “has the data it needs to hold agencies accountable, craft smarter policy, and protect our communities.”

The bill, introduced in January by Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, has passed the House and is now awaiting Senate action.

El Paso: Man Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Drugged Children

In El Paso, federal prosecutors stated that 35-year-old Manuel Valenzuela, a lawful permanent resident, pleaded guilty to multiple counts related to a scheme to smuggle children from Mexico into the United States using candy laced with THC.

According to court documents, members of a smuggling organization brought children between the ages of five and 13 from Juarez to El Paso by sedating them with THC-infused candy and using fraudulent U.S. documents to pass them off as their own.

Authorities said Valenzuela picked up the children after they were smuggled into Texas and paid the drivers involved in the operation. During one incident, a child was hospitalized and diagnosed with THC poisoning.

Valenzuela faces a mandatory minimum of 11 years in prison. U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons said the case reflects his office’s commitment to targeting “cartels and transnational criminal organizations” through Operation Take Back America, a Justice Department initiative aimed at dismantling human smuggling networks.

Prosecutors said the investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Border Patrol, and other federal agencies as part of Joint Task Force Alpha, which has reportedly led to more than 410 arrests and 355 convictions related to human smuggling since its inception.

Texas Takedown Weekly is a continuing series from The Dallas Express chronicling significant immigration-related arrests, prosecutions, and enforcement actions across the state.

The series remains in a modified format due to federal law enforcement agencies largely halting or reducing the number of images and videos they post from immigration and border security enforcement actions in the state. Although the federal government shutdown has ended, the agencies have largely not resumed posting, as of this writing.

To read last week’s edition, click Texas Takedown Weekly: Border Chase Special Edition.