Southern District of California

SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 115 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).

In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.

A sample of border-related arrests this week:

• On November 29, Oscar Rene Redondo, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers found 25 packages containing 260 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in the bed of the defendant’s truck when he attempted to cross the border at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
• On December 2, Arturo Olazaba-Lopez was arrested and charged with Attempted Entry after Deportation. According to a complaint, the defendant was hiding under a blanket in the back cargo area of a car that was being driven through the San Ysidro Port of Entry. Olasava-Lopez was previously removed from the United States on November 1, 2025, from the San Ysidro Port of Entry, and before that in 1996 from El Paso, Texas.
• On December 3, Joel Enrique Topete-Toparro and Aristeo Esteban Ceballos Lorea, citizens of Mexico, were arrested and charged with Brining in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered the defendants walking north of the U.S.-Mexico border, east of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry, and determined they were foot guides for other undocumented Mexican citizens.

Also recently, some defendants with criminal records were sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here’s an example:

• On December 5, 2024, Felipe Jesus Galindo, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of Possession of a Controlled Substance for Sale, Illegal Possession of an Assault Weapon, and Willful Discharge of a Firearm with Gross Negligence, was sentenced in federal court to 24 months in custody for again illegally entering the U.S.

The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.

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 DIEGO – Son Nguyen of San Diego pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he used an explosive to destroy a First Citizens Bank ATM in Rancho Bernardo in the summer of 2024.

According to his plea agreement, Nguyen admitted that on June 28, 2024, he drove up to an ATM outside the First Citizens Bank branch and inserted a metal-shaped rod into the cash dispenser slot of the machine. He then removed the rod and inserted another device which had wires attached to it. The defendant pulled the wires that were attached to the device that was wedged into the ATM and its electrical components caught fire. The ATM was destroyed.

Smoke emitted from the ATM for more than 30 minutes. At approximately 3:23 a.m., the San Diego Police Department received a call to investigate a burglary alarm at the bank. Upon arrival, officers observed the ATM with smoke coming out of it and electrical components on fire. Electrical wires protruded from the machine with a metal rod bent into a U-shape attached. Additionally, blue material with a white and black valve was found in front of the ATM.

Nguyen had left the area. But investigators were able to track him through the bank’s surveillance footage, which showed the license plate number on the vehicle Nguyen used.

According to a federal complaint, on August 23, 2024, federal search warrants authorizing searches of Nguyen’s residence and car were executed. Investigators found a U-shaped rod, a metal plate welded onto a pole, a balaclava, and a beanie. Investigators also found gas, black powder, potassium nitrate sulfur, explosive pre-cursor chemicals, a paper that explains how to make black powder and a firearm in Nguyen’s residence. Investigators found a black hose, neck gaiter and California license plate bearing number 24876J1 in his car. All of this equipment, license plate and clothing is consistent with what was used during the ATM bombing.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Sherwood and Shital Thakkar.

DEFENDANTS                                              Case Number 24cr1933-RBM                                

Son Thanh Nguyen                                         Age: 46                                   San Diego, CA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Malicious Use of Fire and Explosive Materials to Damage Property– Title 18, U.S.C., Section 844(i)

Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine

INVESTIGATING AGENCY

Federal Bureau Investigation

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

SAN DIEGO – Former Fallbrook business owner Andrea Nicole Doherty pleaded guilty in federal court today to defrauding customers of her former Porsche restoration and resale business, admitting to pocketing more than $827,000 and agreeing to pay over $8 million in restitution to 57 people.

In her plea agreement, Doherty, 38, admitted that she took over CPR Classic from her father after his death in 2021. The defendant did business as CPR Classic, which was never registered as a corporation or a limited liability company, restoring classic Porsches and selling them on consignment from its storefront in Fallbrook. Doherty pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud, relating to three specific vehicles sold on consignment by the defendant through CPR Classic.

Doherty was released on bail pending her sentencing on February 23, 2026, at 10 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Andrew G. Schopler.

During 2022 and 2023, Doherty sold a 1973 Porsche 911E Targa to two different buyers, accepting payment from both without informing or paying the seller. The seller eventually transferred the vehicle’s title after receiving a check from Doherty, which bounced when he attempted to cash it.

In February 2023, Doherty admitted that she agreed to sell a 1972 Porsche 911S for its owner, and found a buyer the very next day who wired her $280,000 within a week. Although this buyer received the vehicle, Doherty did not transfer legal title and admitted that she had not used the wired funds to pay the seller. Instead, in October 2023, Doherty sold the vehicle again to another buyer, who wired her $275,000, part of which she used to pay the seller, who then transferred title to the October 2023 buyer, unaware of the February 2023 sale.

Also in 2023, Doherty admitted that she sold a 1983 Porsche 930T Slantnose on consignment for $130,000, without telling (or paying) the owner. To complete the sale, Doherty forged the seller’s signature on the transfer of title document. More than a year later, this buyer contacted the vehicle’s owner, who then learned that his car had been sold and delivered to the buyer despite still being listed as available for sale on the CPR Classic website.

CPR Classic’s vehicle dealer license was suspended by the California Department of Motor Vehicles in September 2024, and it ceased operations soon thereafter.

If you believe that you are a victim in this case, please submit a report to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at https://www.ic3.gov, or to the California Department of Motor Vehicles at https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/customer-service/dmv-complaints-ffinv-1/. Victims can also file a claim through the Consumer Motor Vehicle Recovery Corporation at www.CMVRC.org.

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey D. Hill.

DEFENDANT                                                            Case Number 25cr4683-AGS

Andrea Nicole Doherty                      Age: 38                                   Fallbrook, CA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1343 (three counts)

Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Federal Bureau of Investigation

California Department of Motor Vehicles – Criminal Investigations

SAN DIEGO –Xilin Sun and Alexander Charles James have pleaded guilty in federal court, admitting they participated in a fraud and money laundering scheme that tricked a Carlsbad resident out of almost $1.5 million.

Sun pleaded guilty today to money laundering conspiracy; James pleaded guilty on November 25, 2025, to wire fraud conspiracy.

According to public documents, the San Diego Elder Justice Task Force learned of the fraud scheme after a victim reported to Carlsbad police that she was duped over a period of months by fraudsters posing as government, bank and tech-support employees. She said she was using her computer when a pop-up window appeared, advising her to call for help because her computer had been hacked. She made the call.

Once the scammers discovered the victim had substantial savings, they convinced her she could safeguard her funds by obtaining gold bars and sending them to the U.S. treasury, which would create a locker under her name. Over the course of two months, the victim sent approximately $1,335,000 via three separate wire transfers to a precious metal business located in San Marcos, California. Once each of the wire transfers were completed, the victim was instructed to pick up the purchased precious metals—consisting of mostly gold—and to package them. The victim was then directed to hand the package over to an individual under the false pretense that it was being “secured” for safekeeping.

In their respective plea agreements, Sun and James both admitted to participating knowingly with the organization that operated technical support, bank impersonation and government impersonation scams targeting elderly victims throughout the United States, including in the Southern District of California.

As set forth in their plea agreements, in February 2024, the FBI set up a sting operation with the Carlsbad victim’s help. The victim was directed by scammers to meet up to deliver a final payment of $100,000 in gold bars. During surveillance, federal agents observed defendant James meet with the victim. After James provided the “secret” word, the victim handed James a package purporting to contain the gold.  James then left the area and met co-conspirator Sun, who took possession of the package of gold bars.  With the assistance of local law enforcement, Sun was then stopped and ultimately arrested. In addition to the fake gold bars, Sun had a false California driver’s license and a package containing $12,900 in bulk cash that had been sent by another victim.  

This case was investigated by the San Diego Elder Justice Task Force and its member agencies, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, Carlsbad Police Department, San Diego Police Department, and the California Highway Patrol.

A sentencing hearing for Sun and James is scheduled for February 12, 2025, at 1:30 p.m., before U.S. District Judge Barry Ted Moskowitz.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available through the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). You can also report fraud to any local law enforcement agency or on the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

The FBI requests that victims report:

• The name of the person or company that contacted you.
• Methods of communication used, including websites, emails, and telephone numbers.
• Any bank account number(s) to which you wired funds and the recipient name(s).
• The name and location of the metal dealer company and the account to which you wired funds, if you were instructed to buy precious metals.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Mokhtari and Francisco Nagel.

DEFENDANTS                                             

Case Number 24-cr-1007-BTM

Xilin Sun                                                         Age: 35                                   Ontario, CA

Case Number 24-cr-2607-BTM

Alexander Charles James                                Age: 21                                   Los Angeles, CA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Xilin Sun

Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(h)

Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison; a maximum $500,000 fine or twice the amount of monetary instruments involved in the offense, whichever is greatest

Alexander Charles James

Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud - Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 1349

Maximum penalties: Thirty years in prison; $1 million fine

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Federal Bureau of Investigation

San Diego Elder Justice Task Force

Carlsbad Police Department

California Highway Patrol

San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
San Diego Police Department

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

WASHINGTON — Joaquin Guzman Lopez, who succeeded his father, Joaquin Guzman Loera, also known as “El Chapo,” as one of the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico, pleaded guilty yesterday to federal drug charges.

“The Sinaloa Cartel is a terrorist organization that has spent decades destroying American families through brutal violence and deadly drug trafficking,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Yesterday’s guilty plea from El Chapo’s son is a major victory against the Sinaloa Cartel and underscores the Trump Administration’s historic, aggressive campaign to dismantle terrorist organizations that target the American people.”

“Under the Chapitos’ leadership, the Sinaloa Cartel has fueled the deadliest drug crisis in our nation’s history, manufacturing poison and profiting from the destruction of American lives,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “DEA stands committed to dismantle Sinaloa Cartel’s command and control, expose their criminal networks, and deliver justice for the hundreds of thousands of lives lost to their greed. Joaquin Guzmán Lopez’s guilty plea marks another blow to the cartel’s ruthless operations. We will not stop until these narco-terrorists are held accountable and the American people are protected."

“After the United States successfully prosecuted El Chapo, his son, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, took up his father’s mantle and jointly led the ‘Los Chapitos’ faction of the Sinaloa Cartel — one of the world’s most notorious drug trafficking organizations — in its efforts to flood the United States with deadly fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Under the leadership of Guzman Lopez and his associates, the Sinaloa Cartel spread violence and bribed public officials to protect its illicit business. The Criminal Division and our partners will not rest until we have fully dismantled the criminal cartels whose ruthless violence and lethal narcotics distribution threaten the safety and health of the American people.”

“For decades, the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office has been at the forefront of the U.S. government’s relentless pursuit of drug cartels, such as the Sinaloa Cartel, as well as their top leaders,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “Yesterday, because of this Administration’s leadership, the U.S. State Department has designated many of these cartels as foreign terrorist organizations — a fact that has only further stiffened our resolve to track down and hold accountable transnational criminal organizations and their highest-ranking members and associates. Joaquin Guzman Lopez’s guilty plea is the latest step in our efforts to bring to justice drug lords and other dangerous criminals who poison the American public with illegal and harmful drugs and who otherwise engage in violence and corruption to carry out their and their enterprises’ wide-reaching criminal activities.”

“Two down, two to go,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California.

“The Guzman’s have made a family business out of trafficking fentanyl and other dangerous drugs,” said Acting Assistant Director Gregory Heeb of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Protecting Americans from the Sinaloa and other criminal cartels terrorizing and poisoning our communities is one of the FBI’s highest priorities and we will continue to work relentlessly to dismantle and disrupt these dangerous international criminal networks.”

“Yesterday’s guilty plea by Joaquin Guzman Lopez is another example of how HSI is taking on the cartels and their transnational criminal networks and sending a clear message that we are going to hold them accountable,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ray Rede for Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Arizona. “Dismantling the Sinaloa cartel one arrest at time has taken countless hours but together HSI and our federal partners in the Homeland Security Task Force relentlessly focused efforts to stop this transnational criminal organization scourge by removing leaders from the helm. Yesterday’s announcement exemplifies a whole-of-government approach to protecting our homeland that is yielding results.”

Guzman Lopez, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of drug conspiracy and one count of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise. The convictions carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Guzman Lopez has been detained in U.S. custody since his arrest in July 2024.

Guzman Lopez and his three brothers, collectively known as “the Chapitos,” assumed  leadership roles of the Sinaloa Cartel following El Chapo’s arrest in 2016 and subsequent conviction in the Eastern District of New York. Guzman Lopez coordinated the transportation of drugs and precursor chemicals for the manufacture of drugs into Mexico, and the transportation of those drugs, including cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl, to the United States border, at times in shipments of hundreds or thousands of kilograms. He used a network of couriers affiliated with the cartel to smuggle the drugs into the United States using vehicles, rail cars, tunnels, aircraft, submersible vessels, and other means.

After the drugs were distributed throughout the United States, individuals working for Guzman Lopez and others laundered and transferred the illicit proceeds from the United States to Mexico and elsewhere. To protect the Sinaloa Cartel’s operation, Guzman Lopez and his associates bribed corrupt public officials and perpetrated violence against law enforcement officials, rival drug traffickers, and members of their own drug trafficking organization.

In addition to the drug offenses, Guzman Lopez also stipulated to committing an international kidnapping offense. Guzman Lopez admitted to coordinating and committing the kidnapping in the hopes of receiving cooperation credit from the United States. As stated in the plea agreement, the United States did not induce or condone the kidnapping, and Guzman Lopez will not receive any cooperation credit for it.

As part of his plea agreement, Guzman Lopez agreed to the entry of a personal money judgment in the amount of $80 million, which represents proceeds traceable to his offenses. Guzman Lopez also acknowledged that the crimes to which he is pleading guilty involved more than 36 kilograms of fentanyl, 90 kilograms of heroin, 450 kilograms of cocaine, 45 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 90,000 kilograms of marijuana.

Guzman Lopez’s three brothers — Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar, Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, and Ovidio Guzman Lopez — are also charged with drug trafficking in U.S. indictments. On July 11, Ovidio Guzman Lopez pleaded guilty to federal drug charges in the Northern District of Illinois. He is awaiting sentencing. Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar are charged in both the Northern District of Illinois and Southern District of New York. They are fugitives. The U.S. State Department has issued rewards of up to $10 million for information leading to their arrests and convictions. See the reward information here and here.

Trial Attorney Kirk Handrich of the Justice Department’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF), Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Erskine, Michelle Parthum, and Michael Maione for the Northern District of Illinois, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Sutton and Robert Miller for the Southern District of California are prosecuting the case.

HSI and the FBI investigated the case.

The guilty plea was announced as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve various law enforcement goals — including 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).

The charges against Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Joaquin Guzman Lopez, who succeeded his father, Joaquin Guzman Loera, also known as “El Chapo,” as one of the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico, pleaded guilty yesterday to federal drug charges.

“The Sinaloa Cartel is a terrorist organization that has spent decades destroying American families through brutal violence and deadly drug trafficking,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Yesterday’s guilty plea from El Chapo’s son is a major victory against the Sinaloa Cartel and underscores the Trump Administration’s historic, aggressive campaign to dismantle terrorist organizations that target the American people.”

“Under the Chapitos’ leadership, the Sinaloa Cartel has fueled the deadliest drug crisis in our nation’s history, manufacturing poison and profiting from the destruction of American lives,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “DEA stands committed to dismantle Sinaloa Cartel’s command and control, expose their criminal networks, and deliver justice for the hundreds of thousands of lives lost to their greed. Joaquin Guzmán Lopez’s guilty plea marks another blow to the cartel’s ruthless operations. We will not stop until these narco-terrorists are held accountable and the American people are protected."

“After the United States successfully prosecuted El Chapo, his son, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, took up his father’s mantle and jointly led the ‘Los Chapitos’ faction of the Sinaloa Cartel — one of the world’s most notorious drug trafficking organizations — in its efforts to flood the United States with deadly fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Under the leadership of Guzman Lopez and his associates, the Sinaloa Cartel spread violence and bribed public officials to protect its illicit business. The Criminal Division and our partners will not rest until we have fully dismantled the criminal cartels whose ruthless violence and lethal narcotics distribution threaten the safety and health of the American people.”

“For decades, the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office has been at the forefront of the U.S. government’s relentless pursuit of drug cartels, such as the Sinaloa Cartel, as well as their top leaders,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “Yesterday, because of this Administration’s leadership, the U.S. State Department has designated many of these cartels as foreign terrorist organizations — a fact that has only further stiffened our resolve to track down and hold accountable transnational criminal organizations and their highest-ranking members and associates. Joaquin Guzman Lopez’s guilty plea is the latest step in our efforts to bring to justice drug lords and other dangerous criminals who poison the American public with illegal and harmful drugs and who otherwise engage in violence and corruption to carry out their and their enterprises’ wide-reaching criminal activities.”

“Two down, two to go,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California.

“The Guzman’s have made a family business out of trafficking fentanyl and other dangerous drugs,” said Acting Assistant Director Gregory Heeb of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Protecting Americans from the Sinaloa and other criminal cartels terrorizing and poisoning our communities is one of the FBI’s highest priorities and we will continue to work relentlessly to dismantle and disrupt these dangerous international criminal networks.”

“Yesterday’s guilty plea by Joaquin Guzman Lopez is another example of how HSI is taking on the cartels and their transnational criminal networks and sending a clear message that we are going to hold them accountable,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ray Rede for Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Arizona. “Dismantling the Sinaloa cartel one arrest at time has taken countless hours but together HSI and our federal partners in the Homeland Security Task Force relentlessly focused efforts to stop this transnational criminal organization scourge by removing leaders from the helm. Yesterday’s announcement exemplifies a whole-of-government approach to protecting our homeland that is yielding results.”

Guzman Lopez, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of drug conspiracy and one count of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise. The convictions carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Guzman Lopez has been detained in U.S. custody since his arrest in July 2024.

Guzman Lopez and his three brothers, collectively known as “the Chapitos,” assumed  leadership roles of the Sinaloa Cartel following El Chapo’s arrest in 2016 and subsequent conviction in the Eastern District of New York. Guzman Lopez coordinated the transportation of drugs and precursor chemicals for the manufacture of drugs into Mexico, and the transportation of those drugs, including cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl, to the United States border, at times in shipments of hundreds or thousands of kilograms. He used a network of couriers affiliated with the cartel to smuggle the drugs into the United States using vehicles, rail cars, tunnels, aircraft, submersible vessels, and other means.

After the drugs were distributed throughout the United States, individuals working for Guzman Lopez and others laundered and transferred the illicit proceeds from the United States to Mexico and elsewhere. To protect the Sinaloa Cartel’s operation, Guzman Lopez and his associates bribed corrupt public officials and perpetrated violence against law enforcement officials, rival drug traffickers, and members of their own drug trafficking organization.

In addition to the drug offenses, Guzman Lopez also stipulated to committing an international kidnapping offense. Guzman Lopez admitted to coordinating and committing the kidnapping in the hopes of receiving cooperation credit from the United States. As stated in the plea agreement, the United States did not induce or condone the kidnapping, and Guzman Lopez will not receive any cooperation credit for it.

As part of his plea agreement, Guzman Lopez agreed to the entry of a personal money judgment in the amount of $80 million, which represents proceeds traceable to his offenses. Guzman Lopez also acknowledged that the crimes to which he is pleading guilty involved more than 36 kilograms of fentanyl, 90 kilograms of heroin, 450 kilograms of cocaine, 45 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 90,000 kilograms of marijuana.

Guzman Lopez’s three brothers — Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar, Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, and Ovidio Guzman Lopez — are also charged with drug trafficking in U.S. indictments. On July 11, Ovidio Guzman Lopez pleaded guilty to federal drug charges in the Northern District of Illinois. He is awaiting sentencing. Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar are charged in both the Northern District of Illinois and Southern District of New York. They are fugitives. The U.S. State Department has issued rewards of up to $10 million for information leading to their arrests and convictions. See the reward information here and here.

Trial Attorney Kirk Handrich of the Justice Department’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF), Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Erskine, Michelle Parthum, and Michael Maione for the Northern District of Illinois, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Sutton and Robert Miller for the Southern District of California are prosecuting the case.

HSI and the FBI investigated the case.

The guilty plea was announced as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve various law enforcement goals — including 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).

The charges against Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

SAN DIEGO – Darell Davis of Sacramento was sentenced in federal court today to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay $9,950 in restitution for conspiring to sex traffic an 18-year-old woman by coercion and physical violence.

On September 11, 2025, Davis pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking through force, fraud, or coercion. His guilty plea stemmed from conduct spanning from December 15, 2022, to January 11, 2023, when Davis transported the victim from Sacramento to San Diego to sell her body for his financial gain.

Davis created commercial sex advertisements featuring the victim on an adult website and kept a ledger of all the victim’s prostitution earnings, as well as a ledger on earnings of at least two other women under his control. Davis also kept notes of all the “blades,” the geographical locations for street-based prostitution, in various cities.

On January 10, 2025, the victim contacted the San Deigo Police Department for help and identified her trafficker by his moniker, “Benzo.” The victim told investigators that she first met Davis when she was 17 years old and was introduced to the pimping and prostitution subculture. The victim also stated that Davis explained the prostitution rules, set a daily quota that she was required to earn, and made her work six days a week and up to 10 to 14 hours a day. The victim’s location was even electronically tracked by Davis through a tracking application and all her earnings went to Davis. The victim reported physical abuse and fear based on Davis possessing a handgun.

On January 11, 2023, the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force arrested Davis outside a hotel in Chula Vista. Upon the execution of a search warrant of the room Davis was staying in, investigators recovered a loaded non-serialized handgun and ammunition.

“The smiles in online ads are a mask,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “Behind the misleading photos are coerced victims being controlled, threatened and abused while traffickers cash in. This is exploitation at its ugliest; victims treated as a disposable product, not human beings.”

“Sex trafficking through force, fraud or coercion is a terrible crime that has no place in California,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The California Department of Justice-led San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force is committed to putting a stop to human trafficking, and to holding accountable those who prey on Californians for their own financial gain. I’m grateful to our law enforcement partners for their collaboration, and to the U.S. Attorney’s office for their work to prosecute this case. When we work together, we get results.”

If you are living or working under threat of violence or extortion, or you suspect someone else may be, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center toll free, 24/7 Hotline: CALL: (888) 373-7888 or TEXT BeFree or 233733.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Ko and Lyndzie M. Carter.

DEFENDANT                                                Case Number 23-cr-00549-LL

Darrell Davis                                      Age: 22                                   Sacramento, California

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking through Force, Fraud or Coercion – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1594(c)

Maximum penalty: Up to life in prison and $250,000 fine

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force

San Diego Police Department

San Diego County District Attorney Office

Department of Homeland Security Investigations

Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Diego

San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force

The San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force is a cooperative effort involving the California Department of Justice, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, California Highway Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, National City Police Department, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, San Diego City Attorney’s Office, San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Probation Department, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, San Diego Police Department, Southwest Border High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.

This case is the result of the ongoing efforts of the Special Victims Unit.  Formed in April 2025, the SVU is tasked with leading collaborations between federal and local law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of cases involving sex trafficking and child exploitation, civil rights, and labor trafficking. The SVU oversees the Southern District of California liaisons to the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force and Project Safe Childhood. 

SAN DIEGO –Josephine Guinauli Aquino of San Diego admitted in federal court today that she hid her father-in-law’s overseas death to illegally collect more than $175,000 in retirement benefits that should have stopped when he died.

In her plea agreement, Aquino, 64, admitted that at the time of her father-in-law’s death in 2019, she knew that he was a veteran receiving monthly retirement benefits from both the Defense Finance Accounting Service and the Social Security Administration. Aquino knew that these benefits would immediately cease when the government became aware of her father-in-law’s death, , but because he died in The Philippines, the U.S. government was not automatically informed. Instead, Aquino admitted that she concealed his death from both the government and the bank where her father-in-law’s benefits were deposited each month. As a result, the United States continued to deposit these funds each month through October 2025.

After his death in August 2019, Aquino admitted, she used her father-in-law’s checkbook to forge at least 150 checks drawn on his bank account. In addition, Aquino admitted that she received monthly pension checks from the Nestle Corporation that were mailed to her father-in-law’s last address in the United States, which Aquino fraudulently endorsed and deposited into his bank account, using his bank card.

Aquino admitted that by concealing the death of her father-in-law, she caused an additional loss to the U.S. Department of Treasury for three economic impact payments issued during the COVID-19 pandemic, which were intended for her father-in-law’s benefit but converted to Aquino’s use.

As a part of her plea agreement, Aquino has agreed to make full restitution to the Defense Finance Accounting Service, the Social Security Administration, the Treasury Department and the Nestle Corporation. Aquino was released pending her sentencing on February 13, 2026, before District Judge Janis L. Sammartino.

“By stealing benefits that did not belong to her, this defendant took money away from other veterans and elderly Americans in need,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “This office is committed to prosecuting those who defraud these important government programs.”

“Ms. Aquino’s guilty plea is an acknowledgement of her six-year fraud scheme in which she benefited financially to the detriment of the American taxpayer by unlawfully obtaining Department of Defense and Social Security benefits,” said John E. Helsing, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Western Field Office.  “DCIS, along with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice, will continue to aggressively investigate those who seek to enrich themselves through fraudulent schemes targeting the U.S. government.”

“Ms. Aquino’s deliberate decision to conceal her father-in-law’s death abroad and steal Social Security benefits for her own benefit represents a serious violation of the law,” said Christian Assaad, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, San Francisco Field Division, Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General. “Safeguarding the integrity of Social Security programs is central to our mission, and we will continue to ensure that those who misuse these benefits are held accountable.” This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey D. Hill.

DEFENDANT                                                            Case Number 25-CR-4282-JLS

Josephine Guinauli Aquino                Age: 64                                   San Diego, CA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Receipt, Concealment, and Retention of Stolen Public Money – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 641

Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and a $357,623.00 fine

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Department of Defense – Office of Inspector General

Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General

SAN DIEGO –Victor Hugo Villalobos Almazan and Nayeli Noemi Montoya Rodriguez, both Mexican nationals, were arrested by federal agents Tuesday and charged with fraudulently selling properties they did not own.

The defendants were taken into custody upon their arrival at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston after arriving from Mexico. They appeared in federal court in Houston today to face wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft charges. An identity and detention hearing is scheduled for Wednesday in Houston.

According to the complaint, the defendants pretended to be the owners of vacant or undeveloped plots of real estate and sold the properties to unwitting third parties by forging signatures of notaries and wiring the proceeds abroad to bank accounts in Mexico and Jordan. According to the complaint, the defendants netted nearly $1 million from two illegal real estate sales.

The complaint alleges that between March and April 2023, Villalobos impersonated the recorded owner of a parcel of vacant land in San Diego for purposes of selling the property and collecting the proceeds. Villalobos allegedly opened a bank account in his own name, with the indication that he was “doing business as” the entity that was the recorded owner of the real property. Villalobos then directed the escrow company to wire the proceeds from the sale into his bank account and then wired nearly all of the illicit proceeds to bank accounts in foreign countries.

Photo evidence shows Villalobos dropping off forms necessary to complete the fraudulent sale of the real property at the escrow company responsible for facilitating the sale.

According to the complaint, Montoya executed a similar scheme in March 2023. She impersonated the recorded owner of real estate with a vacant structure, selling it for approximately $400,000. The complaint said she opened a bank account in her own name, “doing business as” the recorded owner of the property, and directed the proceeds of the sale into that account. Once the proceeds were deposited, Montoya wired most of the money into foreign bank accounts within days. She also withdrew several thousand dollars of the money at various ATMs in San Diego. She was seen on bank surveillance cameras withdrawing money from the account, both alone and with Villalobos.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Beeler and David Kete.

DEFENDANTS                                              Case Number 25-mj-6506-AHG                            

Victor Hugo Villalobos Almazan                   Age: 48                                   Mexico

Nayeli Noemi Montoya Rodriguez                Age: 48                                   Mexico

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Wire Fraud Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1349

Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine

Aggravated Identity Theft – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1028A

Maximum penalty: Two years in prison, consecutive to the underlying felony

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Homeland Security Investigations

Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

SAN DIEGO – El Cajon-based San Diego Powder & Protective Coatings and the company’s hiring manager, Karli Buxton, pleaded guilty in federal court today to engaging in a pattern or practice of hiring undocumented immigrants without authorization to work in the United States. The plea follows a worksite enforcement action which occurred on March 27, 2025, at San Diego Powder & Protective Coatings’ facility.

The company, a government contractor, also agreed to forfeit $230,000 that it gained from engaging in the practice. 

As part of the plea agreement, the company admitted that its operations manager, John Washburn, and others recruited undocumented immigrants who did not have authorization to work in the United States. Washburn pleaded guilty in June.

Since 2023, Buxton was responsible for verifying that new employees were eligible to work in the United States. As part of her plea agreement, she admitted that she was aware certain employees were presenting fraudulent documents to show their authorization to work in the United States, but she accepted the documents and hired them for employment at the company.

The company further admitted that it had frequently sent employees to work in secure locations such as military bases or ports of entry and avoided sending any employees working illegally to these secure locations where they would be subject to further screening. The company also admitted the aliens it employed in its warehouses often had access to military equipment such as components for submarines or aquatic vehicles used by the United States Navy.

As part of its plea agreement, the company agreed to participate in the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers (IMAGE) program. The IMAGE program serves the business community by strengthening hiring and employment verification practices by providing guidance on topics such as the use of fraudulent documents and forced labor. IMAGE program participants agree to submit to an audit of their Form I-9s (Employment Eligibility Verification Form) to ensure the integrity of their workforce and that they are only employing individuals authorized to work in the United States. As part of its plea agreement, the company also agreed to use the E-Verify system to check the eligibility of all new employees for the next two years.

“Here’s my advice to the business community and to the lawyers who advise them: enroll in IMAGE,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon, “There are numerous tangible benefits to enrolling your company in IMAGE and ensuring the integrity of your workforce. The Department of Justice has and will continue to prioritize investigations into businesses that are employing individuals without authorization to work in the United States.”   

“Worksite enforcement operations like these deter illegal immigration, ensure employer accountability, and protect the US Workforce,” said HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Murphy. “HSI is committed to investigations that hold companies like SDPC accountable for their criminal actions.”

“Bypassing required vetting processes and exposing Department of the Navy resources and information to individuals with insufficient or fraudulent documentation threatens warfighter safety,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross, NCIS Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS and our partners remain dedicated to safeguarding Department of Navy installations, personnel, and assets against any threat to our national security.”

These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Henry F.B. Beshar and Michael A. Deshong.

DEFENDANT                                                         Case Number 25 CR 4519

BJS & T Enterprises Inc.,

Dba San Diego Powder & Protective Coating

Karli Buxton                                                              Age: 41            

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Engaging in a Pattern or Practice of Employing Aliens, in violation of Title 8 U.S.C. § 1324a(a)(1)(A) and (f); Maximum Penalty: Six months in prison; $3,000 fine per alien.

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Homeland Security Investigations

Naval Criminal Investigative Service

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General

General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General

Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General

Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General

Enforcement and Removal Operations, Department of Homeland Security

Drug Enforcement Administration

Bureau Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives

U.S. Border Patrol

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

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.

SAN DIEGO – Erick Alexander Granados Garcia, who is believed responsible for trafficking large amounts of cocaine into the United States from Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico, appeared in federal court yesterday following his extradition from Guatemala.

Granados Garcia was indicted by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of California in June 2017 for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine on Board a Vessel. Granados Garcia was apprehended by Guatemalan authorities on August 21, 2017, and Guatemala granted the United States’ extradition request on October 29, 2025. The defendant arrived in San Diego on Monday.

At yesterday’s hearing, Granados Garcia was arraigned and entered a not-guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Allison H. Goddard.

This case stemmed from a long-term investigation targeting high-level organizations operating Colombian, Ecuadorian, and Guatemalan-based cocaine production and transportation organizations. These organizations historically transported cocaine into Guatemala and Mexico and then to locations in San Diego and Los Angeles. From there, traffickers delivered the drugs to distributors throughout California and the East Coast of the United States. Investigators learned that the targets use commercial and private airplanes, fishing vessels, go-fast boats, and maritime containers for the illicit movement of narcotics and narcotics proceeds. Agents coordinated the interdiction of at least 45 bulk cocaine shipment events conducted in multiple jurisdictions and multiple foreign countries. Thus far, these operations have resulted in the seizure of approximately $4.7 million and 60,230 kilograms of cocaine from 93 bulk seizure events.

The Justice Department extends its gratitude to the Government of Guatemala and its prosecutorial and law enforcement authorities for making the extradition possible. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest and extradition from Guatemala. The U.S. Marshals Service assisted in bringing the defendant back to the United States. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle B. Martin.

DEFENDANT                                                                               Case Number 17-cr-01465-JES     

Erick Alexander Granados Garcia                                         Age: 46                       Guatemala

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine on Board a Vessel – Title 46, U.S.C., Sections 70503 and 70506(b). Term of custody including a mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life imprisonment, $10 million fine.

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Drug Enforcement Administration

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation

United States Marshals Service

United States Coast Guard

Customs and Border Protection

United States Border Patrol

The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case 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 Diego comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals, Department of Defense, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Interpol, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.

SAN DIEGO – Homero Angel Cevallos Velasquez, a Panamanian national who was extradited to the United States on November 20, 2025, to face international money laundering charges, was ordered detained pending trial during a hearing in federal court today.

Federal prosecutors moved for Cevallos’ detention on the grounds that he posed a serious risk of flight from prosecution. Cevallos did not contest the United States’ motion and instead stipulated to being detained.

Cevallos is scheduled to appear before United States District Judge Janis L. Sammartino on December 19, 2025, for a motion hearing and trial setting. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.

To date, seven others have been charged or have admitted their roles in the scheme, including:

• Hector Alejandro Paez Garcia, a Mexico City-based attorney who assisted in laundering narcotics proceeds, pleaded guilty to being involved in the laundering of more than $52 million in May 2025.
• Miguel Angel Encinas Gomez of Mexicali, México, leader of the Mexicali-based cell of the money laundering organization (MLO), pleaded guilty to laundering $35 million in bulk cash narcotics proceeds in July 2023.
• Hugo Andres Velasquez Pantza, a Colombian national, allegedly assisted the MLO in the implementation of cryptocurrency into their operations. Velasquez was subsequently targeted in an undercover FBI operation and arrested in Rome, Italy, by Italian law enforcement at the request of the United States in January 2025. Velasquez was extradited to the United States in April 2025. His case is pending.
• James Harmon Yarbrough of Apopka, Florida, who worked in partnership with Cevallos to receive $326,000 in illicit proceeds in a scheme to convert the funds to cryptocurrency, pleaded guilty in July 2023.
• Victoria Johanna Lopez, Jose Jesus Lopez, Jose Mayorga Martinez, and Gerardo Vasquez Jr. allegedly worked as bulk cash couriers handling and depositing bulk cash for the MLO. Victoria Lopez, Jose Lopez and Mayorga have pleaded guilty. The case against Vasquez Jr. is still pending.
• Jhonatan Suarez Florez of Auburndale, Florida, who used accounts associated with his Florida-based construction and door manufacturing businesses to receive and transmit funds belonging to the criminal organization, pleaded guilty in December 2024.
• Alberto David Benguait Jimenez, an alleged leader of the MLO, remains a fugitive.. If anyone has information related to this individual, please contact your local FBI or DEA office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Benjamin and Robert Miller. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Owen Roth contributed significantly to the case.

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s Judicial Attaché Office in Bogotá, Colombia worked with the Government of Colombia to secure the arrest and extradition from Colombia of Cevallos Velasquez.

The FBI worked in close partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Imperial County District Attorney’s Office, as well as Panamanian authorities, to seize the MLO’s assets and arrest multiple participants in the scheme.

DEFENDANT                                                Case Number 24-cr-1745-JLS                    

Homero Angel Cevallos Velasquez               Age:52                        Panama

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

International Money Laundering Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 1956(h), 1956(a)(1)(b)(i) and 1956(a)(2)(B)(i)

Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $500,000 fine

INVESTIGATING AGENCY

Federal Bureau of Investigation

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case 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 Diego comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, Department of Defense, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and INTERPOL, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.

SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 94 border-related cases this week, including charges of assault on a federal officer, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).

In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.

A sample of border-related arrests this week:

• On November 17, Yuvitza ORDONEZ-MARTINEZ and Alexa GARCIA-VALENZUELA, both United States citizens, were arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, ORDONEZ-MARTINEZ and GARCIA-VALENZUELA, arrived in a vehicle at the Interstate 8 Border Patrol Checkpoint in Pine Valley, California. At pre-primary inspection, a K9 Border Patrol Agent alerted that the vehicle’s occupants may have been involved in alien or controlled substances smuggling. Following Border Patrol Agent’s search of the vehicle, agents discovered 23 bundles of white crystalline substance (weighting 71.80 kilograms total).
• On November 18, Viviana SERRANO, a United States citizen, was arrested for bringing an illegal alien to the United States for the purpose of financial gain. According to a complaint, SERRANO applied for admission into the United States from Mexico via the Tecate, California Port of entry as the sole visible occupant of her vehicle. Upon inspection of the vehicle, Customs and Border Protection Officers discovered one adult male and one minor male concealed within the trunk of the vehicle. Both male occupants were citizens of Mexico without legal authorization to lawfully enter the United States. SERRANO admitted to knowledge of the smuggling attempt and stated she was going to receive $2,000 USD for her smuggling services.
• On November 19, Abraham Francisco LOPEZ Guitimea was arrested and charged with attempting to bring in illegal aliens for financial gain. According to a complaint, the San Diego U.S. Border Patrol Marine Unit was conducting a pro-active patrol, when they observed a suspicious vessel. After intercepting the suspicious vessel, U.S. Border Patrol Agents conducted an immigration inspection on the vessel’s driver and 16 passengers, who were later identified as non-U.S. citizens. LOPEZ admitted to being captain of the vessel and stated that he was going to earn $1,000 USD per individual successfully smuggled into the United States. The other individuals were arrested and charged with various immigration related offenses.

Also recently, a number of defendants with criminal records were convicted by a jury or sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here are a few of those cases:

• On November 18, Ahumada Alcaraz, a Mexican national who was previously deported 16 times, was convicted by a jury of Attempted Reentry of Removed Alien. Alcaraz first administrative deportation was from August 27, 2008.
• On November 19, Mikah Alexandria DOTY, who was convicted of knowingly transporting aliens without legal status within the United States, was sentenced in federal court to 12 months in custody.

Pursuant to the Department’s Operation Take Back America priorities, federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community.

The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.

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 DIEGO – Ping “Jenny” Gao, a resident of Point Loma, has pleaded guilty in federal court, admitting that she embezzled more than $8.5 million from her employer by draining four bank accounts belonging to his U.S. companies.

According to her plea agreement, Gao funneled company funds into accounts she fraudulently created and then went on a spending spree, buying a $160,000 Porsche and a $2.9 million home with views overlooking San Diego Bay and the downtown skyline.

When her employer discovered the theft and sued in San Diego Superior Court, Gao falsely claimed her actions were authorized by the real owner of the companies in China and the person who sued her was an “imposter.” To support this false defense, Gao paid more than $100,000 of embezzled funds to people in China to fabricate evidence, which she then knowingly filed with the Superior Court to oppose a motion for a preliminary injunction. Gao also committed perjury at her deposition in the civil matter by claiming the funds in the companies’ bank accounts belonged to her.

Though the Superior Court issued multiple orders barring Gao from further spending, transferring, or dissipating the proceeds during the pendency of the civil case, Gao disregarded the orders and continued to make transactions with the embezzled proceeds. Those transactions included wiring $1.6 million overseas to a bank account in Hong Kong, China.

In September 2023, the civil case went to trial and Gao testified in her defense. Gao committed perjury again by claiming the funds were from her investments in China. She also falsely claimed that one of the managers of the companies was helping to move her funds into the United States using “underground banks” to avoid Chinese laws limiting overseas transfers.

The Superior Court ultimately ruled against Gao and converted the preliminary injunction into a permanent injunction. Despite the permanent injunction, Gao continued to dissipate proceeds in violation of court order. This included selling the $160,000 Porsche to CarMax for $75,000 and exchanging a $70,000 cashier’s check from proceeds of that transaction with another individual for cash.

According to her plea agreement, Gao admitted that she transferred more than $1 million of the embezzled funds to her personal bank accounts and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on luxuries and at high-end fashion stores. There is also more than $3.29 million of embezzled funds that were squandered or remain unaccounted for to date.

This plea hearing took place on November 13, 2025. This press release was slightly delayed due to the lapse in appropriations.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick C. Swan.

DEFENDANTS                                            Case Number 23-CR-2380-JES                  

Ping Gao, aka Jenny Gao, Gao Ping               Age: 55                                   San Diego, CA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1343

Maximum penalty: Thirty years in prison and fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater

Concealment Money Laundering – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(a)(1)(B)(i)

Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater

INVESTIGATING AGENCY

Federal Bureau of Investigation 

SAN DIEGO – Roberto Carlos Galeana-Guatemala, a Mexican national, was charged in federal court with striking and seriously injuring a federal officer with his vehicle while agents and officers were attempting to arrest him.

Galeana-Guatemala was charged with Assault with a Deadly Weapon that inflicted bodily injury, and for being a removed alien who again entered the United States illegally. He was most recently removed from the United States on February 6, 2024, after his February 5, 2024, conviction for Bringing in Certain Aliens Other Than a Designated Port of Entry.

At his detention hearing today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian J. White, Galeana-Guatemala stipulated to remain detained without bond.

According to the complaint, at about 4:25 a.m. on November 12, 2025, federal agents from the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) attempted to execute a judicially authorized federal arrest warrant for Galeana-Guatemala outside an apartment complex in National City.

The complaint said agents positioned their vehicles in front of the Honda driven by Galeana-Guatemala and announced “Police!” as they exited their vehicle.  Galeana-Guatemala began driving his vehicle in reverse away from the agents.

Law enforcement agents pursued the Honda on foot while verbally shouting “Stop!” and “Police” at Galeana-Guatemala. Additional law enforcement vehicles arrived and activated their emergency lights while blocking Galeana-Guatemala’s exit north.

Galeana-Guatemala attempted to maneuver his vehicle around the law enforcement vehicles but stopped approximately one foot away from the front bumper of one of the blocking vehicles. Galeana-Guatemala then drove approximately 200 feet from the initial parked location before coming to a complete stop.

According to the complaint, agents approached the driver side window and shouted “Police, don't move!” multiple times. Galeana-Guatemala momentarily paused before accelerating towards them, forcing them to scatter to avoid being hit.

Galeana-Guatemala’s vehicle then made a distinct movement toward three agents, one who was unable to get out of the defendant’s path.

The agent was struck by the defendant’s vehicle, thrown onto the street and underneath adjacent parked vehicles. The agent was hospitalized and has contusions, a possible sternum fracture and had to use a wheelchair due to continued pain while walking.  

After Galeana-Guatemala struck the agent, he continued to accelerate south and struck another law enforcement vehicle on the front passenger door, resulting in the door being inoperable, the complaint said.

When the defendant was found by law enforcement later in the day, he attempted to run away again but was apprehended in near the 3800 block of Fairmount Avenue, San Diego.

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Lauricella.

DEFENDANT                                              Case Number 25mj6283-DDL                                    

Roberto Carlos Galeana-Guatemala              Age: 20                                 Mexico

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Assault on a Federal Officer – Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 111 (a)(1) and (b)

Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine

Attempted Assault on a Federal Officer – Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 111 (a)(1) and (b)

Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine

Deported Alien Found in the United States – Title 8, U.S.C., Section 1326

Maximum penalty: Two years in prison and $250,000 fine

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Homeland Security Investigations – Marine Task Force

U.S. Border Patrol

U.S. Customs and Border Protection – Air and Marine Operations

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case 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 Diego comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals, Department of Defense, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Interpol, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.

SAN DIEGO – Marco Antonio Lopez-Guerrero, an alleged Mexicali-based methamphetamine trafficker linked to the Sinaloa Cartel, was extradited from Mexico on October 24th to face drug and firearms charges.

Lopez-Guerrero was indicted by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of California in July 2020.  He is charged with Conspiracy to Import Methamphetamine; Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine; Attempted Export of Defense Articles Without a License; and Smuggling Goods (i.e., firearms and ammunition) from the United States to Mexico.

According to court records, Lopez-Guerrero used young girls to smuggle methamphetamine through pedestrian lanes of Southern California ports of entry and to distribute the drugs in San Diego, San Bernardino and elsewhere. Lopez-Guerrero also used an ultra-light aircraft to smuggle methamphetamine; and he smuggled weapons to Mexico, including at least one short-barrel AR-15 rifle without a serial number and more than 150 rounds of ammunition, court records indicate.

At his first appearance in federal court on October 27th, Lopez-Guerrero was arraigned and entered a not-guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen S. Crawford. Following a detention hearing on October 30, 2025, Lopez-Guerrero was ordered detained pending trial. His next court appearance is scheduled for November 21, 2025, for a motion hearing/trial setting before U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta.  

The prosecution in this case is part of a multi-year investigation that resulted in the seizure of more than 180 kilograms of methamphetamine; 19 kilograms of fentanyl; 2 kilograms of heroin; along with firearms and ammunition.

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest and extradition from Mexico. The U.S. Marshals Service assisted in bringing the defendant to the United States. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lawrence A. Casper and Edward Chang.

DEFENDANT                                               Case Number 20cr2054-JO                                     

Marco Antonio Lopez-Guerrero                                             Age: 34           Mexicali, MX

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Conspiracy to Import Methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C. Sections 952, 960 and 963.

Maximum Penalty:  Mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life in prison, $10 million fine.

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C. Sections 841, 846. Maximum Penalty: Mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life in prison, $10 million fine.

Attempted Export of Defense Articles Without a License in violation of Title 22, U.S.C. Section 2778.

Maximum Penalty:  Twenty years in prison, $1 million fine.

Smuggling of goods in violation of Title 18, U.S.C. Section 554

Maximum Penalty: Ten years in prison, $250,000 fine.

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Drug Enforcement Administration

Homeland Security Investigations

Imperial County Sheriff’s Department

U.S. Border Patrol – El Centro Sector

Department of Justice, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force

Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs

San Diego/Imperial County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case 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 Diego comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals, Department of Defense, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Interpol, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.

SAN DIEGO – David Alfonso Barrera Nunes, a Mexican national believed to be the captain of a smuggling boat that capsized off Imperial Beach in rough surf over the weekend, was charged in federal court today in connection with the deaths of four passengers.

Barrera Nunes was arrested Saturday and charged today with Bringing in Aliens Resulting in Death and Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. A detention hearing is scheduled for Friday at 9 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge David Leshner.

A second man, Luis Enrique Barreto Goitia, a Mexican national who was a passenger on the panga, was also charged for being a removed alien who again entered the United States illegally. He was most recently removed from the United States on November 3, 2025. He was first removed from the U.S. in 2012.

According to the complaint, at about 11:30 p.m. on November 14, 2025, Border Patrol Agents were notified of a small vessel crossing the international maritime boundary between Mexico and the United States. About an hour later, Border Patrol Agents responded to Imperial Beach and spotted a vessel that had capsized in six-foot waves, with several people emerging from the water.

Nine people were believed to be aboard the boat, including four who perished and five who were rescued, detained or both. The five survivors were transported to a hospital for treatment.

Passengers told harrowing stories about their ordeal.

One man, who had been trapped inside the cabin below deck when the boat overturned, found a pocket of air and was able to breathe while the boat was submerged with him and several others inside. He was able to exit the cabin after Border Patrol agents flipped the boat over. He said he doesn’t know how to swim and believed that he was going to drown. Somehow, he said, he was able to reach the shore where he was aided by Border Patrol agents.

The complaint quoted several passengers who said the boat experienced engine problems, leading to an argument between the captain and passengers who urged him to return to Mexico. The captain refused and attempted to reach shore despite having no engine power, causing the vessel to rotate in the waves and capsize.

According to the complaint, the captain was the second to make it to shore. He never attempted to rescue his passengers.

One passenger told agents he was reluctantly accompanying his granddaughter on the voyage. He said that before the vessel capsized, the captain ordered everyone to jump into the water. The vessel then capsized; the grandfather and granddaughter were trapped inside the vessel. As it rolled, the grandfather was able to pull his granddaughter out, but he remained trapped. He said a piece of metal penetrated his leg, causing a severe injury. He believed he was going to die, he said, but when the vessel came to a stop, he was pulled out and rescued.

Three deceased adults were identified as Bartolo Baltazar Baltazar; Epifanio Molina Bravo; and Hector Lopez Lopez. The fourth remains unidentified.

“Bad weather, rough seas, a dangerous and overloaded vessel - these were all risks that smugglers were willing to disregard in their desire for profit,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “Maritime smuggling is extremely dangerous, and we will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law every individual responsible for these preventable tragedies.”

“This event underscores the very real danger and consequences of crossing the border illegally,” said San Diego Sector Chief Border Patrol Agent Justin De La Torre. “The decision of this smuggling organization to carelessly risk the lives of everyone involved is truly inexcusable. We will ensure full accountability for anyone who chooses to violate our Nation’s laws.”

“This tragic incident underscores the inherent dangers of maritime smuggling and the callous disregard smugglers have for human life,” said HSI San Diego Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Murphy. “Due to the exceptional work of the HSI San Diego Marine Task Force and our state, local, and federal partners who responded, lives were saved and those responsible for this tragedy are being held accountable. Together, we remain steadfast in our commitment to combat human smuggling and protect the safety and security of our communities.”

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Van Demark and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Lauricella.

DEFENDANTS                                          

Case Number 25mj6283-DDL

David Alfonso Barrera Nunes                             Age: 37                                  Mexico

Luis Enrique Barreto Goitia                                Age: 39                                   Mexico

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Bringing in Aliens Resulting in Death – Title 8, U.S.C., Sections 1324(a)(1)(A)(i), (v)(II), and (a)(1)(B)(iv)

Maximum penalty: Death or Life in Prison and $250,000 fine

(Barrera Nunes)

Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain – Title 8, U.S.C., Section 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii)

Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison with a three-year mandatory minimum and $250,000 fine

(Barrera Nunes)

Deported Alien Found in the United States – Title 8, U.S.C., Section 1326

Maximum penalty: Two years in prison and $250,000 fine

(Barreto Goitia)

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Homeland Security Investigations – Marine Task Force

U.S. Border Patrol

U.S. Customs and Border Protection – Air and Marine Operations

United States Coast Guard

Imperial Beach Fire-Rescue Department

Imperial Beach Marine Safety - Lifeguards

San Diego County Sheriff’s Department

San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

SAN DIEGO – Scott Anthony Sargent of San Diego was sentenced in federal court to 18 years in prison for supplying the fentanyl that caused the fatal overdoses of a 40-year-old woman and a 35-year-old man in North Park in 2022.

At the sentencing hearing on Friday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office advocated for the maximum 20-year sentence, arguing that Sargent’s continued sale of fentanyl after the overdoses reflected his callous disregard for others and his willingness to prioritize profits over life.

“This sentence reflects one of our Office’s priorities of federally prosecuting and securing significant sentences for drug dealers who provide deadly drugs to their victims.,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “Nothing can undo the loss these families have suffered, but their loved ones’ memories drive our unwavering resolve to confront the fentanyl crisis.”

“Fentanyl dealers are driving a nationwide wave of death, and this case is a tragic reminder of that danger,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge James Nunnallee. “Eighteen years in prison reflects the severity of his actions and our unwavering commitment to stopping those who profit from this deadly drug.”

San Diego Police officers, along with investigators from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Overdose Response Team, responded to a 911 call at a home in North Park in the very early hours of November 10, 2022. When law enforcement officials arrived, they found four individuals unresponsive in the home. Two of the individuals were pronounced dead at the scene, while Sargent and another individual were treated with Narcan and transported for medical attention and recovered.

According to his plea agreement, Sargent admitted that he distributed the fatal mix of fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl (a common fentanyl analogue) to the two victims, causing their deaths. Investigators linked Sargent to the overdoses through the fentanyl/para-fluorofentanyl mixture found at the overdose location and in a subsequent law enforcement search of Sargent’s storage locker.

Sargent’s backpack was found at the site containing 318 grams of methamphetamine, 26.2 grams of fentanyl/para-fluorofentanyl, and 13 bags of a tan powdery substance weighing 437.9 grams of fentanyl/para-fluorofentanyl. Sargent’s duffel bag, also recovered from the bedroom, contained 30.4 grams of methamphetamine and 11.3 grams of fentanyl/para-fluorofentanyl.

Sargent’s storage locker was searched following his arrest. Inside, officers found two 40 mm semi-automatic handguns, 3.2 kilograms of methamphetamine, 5.44 grams of cocaine, and 113.4 grams of fentanyl/para-fluorofentanyl.

Special Agents and Task Force Officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Overdose Response Team led the investigation. This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the San Diego Police Department, the La Mesa Police Department, National Guard Counterdrug Task Force and the California Department of Health Care Services to investigate and prosecute the distribution of dangerous illegal drugs—fentanyl in particular—that result in overdose deaths. The Drug Enforcement Administration created the Overdose Response Team as a response to the increase in overdose deaths in San Diego County.

This case was prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon and Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Ellison.

DEFENDANT                                               Case Number 24cr807-RSH

Scott Anthony Sargent                                    Age: 63                                   San Diego, CA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Distribution of Fentanyl – 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)

Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Drug Enforcement Administration

San Diego Police Department

Homeland Security Investigations

California National Guard Counterdrug Task Force

California Department of Health Care Services

La Mesa Police Department

San Diego County District Attorney’s Office

SAN DIEGO – Vincent Bailey of Las Vegas was sentenced in federal court to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay $7,000 in restitution for the sex trafficking of a 16-year-old girl from Las Vegas.

Bailey trafficked the victim in three cities—Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Diego— from June 25 to July 15, 2024.

Bailey contacted the victim via Instagram on June 25 and pursued a sexual relationship with her before introducing her into the life of prostitution around Las Vegas. The next day, on June 26, Bailey took the minor victim to Los Angeles and began sex trafficking her on the “blade” on Figuera Street, a geographical area known for prostitution activity.

On July 4, Bailey took the minor victim from Los Angeles to San Diego to further sex traffic her on Roosevelt Ave. On July 5, the victim bravely reached out for help and awaited the arrival of National City police officers at a local restaurant. The San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force was called to investigate.

On July 14, 2024, the minor victim was again reported missing by her mother and was later discovered to have been branded with a tattoo under her left eye that matched a tattoo that Bailey also had under his eye. The victim was ultimately rescued a second time and on October 1, 2024, Bailey was arrested by California Highway Patrol during a traffic stop wherein another missing juvenile reported from Spokane, Washington, was a passenger in the vehicle.

“This sentence holds the defendant accountable for the cruelty and exploitation he inflicted on a vulnerable 16-year-old girl,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “Branding a child as property and trafficking her for profit is an act of profound depravity. The 10-year prison term and $7,000 restitution order reflect our unwavering commitment to delivering justice for victims and ensuring traffickers pay for the harm they cause.”

“Human trafficking and sexual exploitation of minors is a despicable crime that has no place in California,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. “I’m proud of the work our California DOJ-led San Diego Human Trafficking Taskforce did to investigate and hold accountable the perpetrator of these horrific crimes. I’m grateful to our federal partners for their collaboration, and for holding Vincent Bailey accountable in a court of law. At the California Department of Justice, we will continue to support survivors and combat human trafficking wherever it occurs. Our door remains open to anyone who believes they may be the victim of human trafficking: The California Department of Justice has your back.”

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Ko and Lyndzie M. Carter.

If you are living or working under threat of violence or extortion, or you suspect someone else may be, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center toll free, 24/7 Hotline: CALL: (888) 373-7888 or TEXT BeFree or 233733.

The sentencing took place on October 3, 2025. This press release was delayed due to the lapse in appropriations.

DEFENDANT                                               Case Number 24cr1589-RSH

Vincent Bailey                                                Age: 25                                   Las Vegas, Nevada

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Sex Trafficking of a Minor – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1591(a)(1) and (b)(2)

Maximum penalty: Mandatory Minimum of 10 years up to life in prison and $250,000 fine

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force

National City Police Department

California Highway Patrol

San Diego County District Attorney Office

Department of Homeland Security Investigations

Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Diego

San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force

The San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force is a cooperative effort involving the California Department of Justice, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, California Highway Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, National City Police Department, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, San Diego City Attorney’s Office, San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Probation Department, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, San Diego Police Department, Southwest Border High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.

This case is the result of the ongoing efforts of the Special Victims Unit.  Formed in April 2025, the SVU is tasked with leading collaborations between federal and local law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of cases involving sex trafficking and child exploitation, civil rights, and labor trafficking. The SVU oversees the Southern District of California liaisons to the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force and Project Safe Childhood.

SAN DIEGO –Jesse Agus Martinez was indicted by a federal grand jury today for illegally importing two sedated orange-fronted parakeets in his pants.

Martinez, a U.S. citizen residing in Tijuana, attempted to cross the border at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry on October 23, 2025, at approximately 12:50 p.m. Martinez was diverted to secondary inspection after a Customs and Border Protection officer noticed a bulge in Martinez’s groin area. Customs and Border Protection records indicated that Martinez had previously smuggled birds into the United States.

Martinez claimed several times that the bulge was his “pirrin,” a Spanish word for penis. When a CBP officer further inspected Martinez, the officer found two brown sacks, each containing one orange-fronted parakeet, in Martinez’s underwear. The birds were apparently unconscious but breathing and heavily sedated.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents and inspectors responded to the scene.  A wildlife inspector identified the birds as protected juvenile orange-fronted parakeets (Eupsittula canicularis).

The birds were initially cared for by Veterinary Services at the southern border, before being transferred to a Department of Agriculture Animal Import Center for quarantine. The birds are now reported to be in stable condition.

Orange Fronted Parakeets are native to Western Mexico and Costa Rica. The Orange Fronted Parakeet is protected and has been listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) since 2005. Martinez’s concealment of the parakeets would have resulted in their entering the United States without any quarantine period or process.

To import many types of wildlife, the wildlife must be subject to quarantine before it can be introduced into the United States. Many animals have diseases that can be transferred to humans (zoonotic diseases) or other animals that can have disastrous health effects to human or animal populations. For example, birds can carry and spread Avian influenza (bird flu), psittacosis, and histoplasmos. Bird flu is highly contagious and can cause flu like symptoms, respiratory illness, pneumonia and death in humans and other birds including the United States poultry farms. There are many other diseases that can be transmitted from different animals and have disastrous effects, that is why it is necessary to quarantine animals entering the United States to limit and safeguard against this potential disease transmission.

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Rookard.

DEFENDANT                                               Case Number 25MJ6054-BLM                              

Jesse Agus Martinez                                       Age: 35

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Importation Contrary to Law – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 545

Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine

INVESTIGATING AGENCY

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

SAN DIEGO –Daniel Rikkels of Chula Vista was indicted by a federal grand jury today on charges that he helped veterans fraudulently obtain disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) while he was a department employee responsible for reviewing and approving disability claims.

According to the 33-count indictment, since 2020, Rikkels knowingly and intentionally instructed veterans to provide false, exaggerated, and misleading claims of service-related injuries to support their disability claims. Rikkels also instructed veterans to alter documents submitted during the claims process.

Through these false claims, the indictment said, veterans fraudulently obtained millions of dollars in VA disability payments and backpay, and Rikkels received millions of dollars in payments from the veterans in return for his work on their behalf.

Until June of 2025, Rikkels was employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs and was responsible for reviewing and approving VA disability claims from veterans. During this time-period he negotiated with veterans for assistance in their VA claims and demanded payment from them, all while he was taking official action on their claims in violation of government ethics laws.

The indictment also alleges that Rikkels frequently requested that veterans who lived in the local area meet him to make payments in cash to minimize what he would have to pay in taxes. According to court records, the investigation revealed that during just a three-month period between February and May of 2025, Rikkels met with at least four local veterans and received a total of $57,000 in cash payments from them. On November 13, 2025, agents searched Rikkels, his vehicle, and residence and seized a total of over $280,000 in cash. 

“The Department of Veterans Affairs and the VA disability system serve a crucial role in providing support and care to those who have served and sacrificed in defense of our country,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “We will zealously safeguard the integrity of the VA disability program and will investigate and prosecute those who attempt to undermine the system to their own financial advantage.”  

“Daniel Rikkels is accused of using his trusted position at the VA for personal gain at the expense of taxpayers and the integrity of the VA as an institution,” said Mark Dargis, Special Agent in Charge of the San Diego Field Office. “He allegedly manipulated the system by imposing a fraudulent fee onto veterans in exchange for favorable disability ratings. FBI San Diego is grateful for the invaluable partnership with the VA OIG during this investigation and ensuring that defendants are held accountable.”

“This indictment and arrest demonstrate the VA OIG’s steadfast commitment to protecting the integrity of VA programs and taxpayer dollars,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony Heddell with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Western Field Office. “The VA OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that anyone who tries to illegally circumvent the law, will be held accountable.”

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph S. Smith and Daniel F. Casillas.

DEFENDANT                                               Case Number 25-cr-4276-H                                    

Daniel Rikkels                                    Age: 55                                   Chula Vista, CA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud - Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1349

Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine

Wire Fraud - Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1343

Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine

Bribery of a Public Official - Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 201(b)(2)(A) and (B)

Maximum penalty: Fifteen years in prison and $250,000 fine

Willfully Engaging in Acts Affecting a Personal Financial Interest - Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 208(a) and 216(a)(2)

Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and $250,000 fine

Laundering of Monetary Instruments – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(a)(1)(B)

Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $500,000 fine

Money Laundering - Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1957

Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General

Federal Bureau of Investigation

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Anyone with information about allegations of unlawful activity; fraud, waste and abuse; violations of VA policy; or gross mismanagement involving VA programs and operations can report it by calling the VA Office of the Inspector General Hotline at 800-448-8244 or at www.va.gov/oig/hotline. 

SAN DIEGO – Dr. Karim Arabi was sentenced in federal court on October 28, 2025, to 48 months in prison for wire fraud and money laundering in connection with a massive $180 million scheme targeting his then-employer, Qualcomm.

Chief U.S. District Judge Cynthia A. Bashant also ordered Dr. Arabi to forfeit more than $45 million plus properties in Canada and Norway, and to pay $100,894,711.12 in restitution to Qualcomm. During the hearing, Chief Judge Bashant characterized Dr. Arabi’s conduct as “breathtaking in its dishonesty.”

Dr. Arabi was convicted of wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering following a four-week jury trial in April 2025. According to evidence presented at trial, while working as a Vice President of Qualcomm’s Research and Development Department, Dr. Arabi committed fraud by developing valuable microchip technology, marketing the technology through a company, Abreezio, which he created to conceal his involvement, and then selling the company and its technology to Qualcomm for $180 million. In reality, Qualcomm would not have paid a dime for the technology had it known of Dr. Arabi’s involvement because, as part of his employment with Qualcomm, Dr. Arabi had agreed that virtually all technology he invented while working at Qualcomm belonged to his employer.

The trial evidence showed that Dr. Arabi and his accomplices created a host of lies and false documents to deceive Qualcomm about Abreezio’s origins. Dr. Arabi himself created two fake email accounts to impersonate his sister to make it appear that she was actively participating in Abreezio and to hide his own involvement. His accomplices repeatedly called him by his sister’s name in their communications to obscure his role. Dr. Arabi even created a fake resume for his sister, embellishing her background to make it more plausible that a graduate student could have invented the technology behind a $180 million company.

Qualcomm actually paid over $150 million to the coconspirators and others before discovering the fraud. According to evidence presented at trial, after the deal closed and Qualcomm unwittingly paid almost $92 million to Dr. Arabi’s sister, the campaign of concealment continued: Dr. Arabi invested the money in Canadian and Norwegian real estate while hiding his involvement, funneled funds back to his U.S. companies via intermediary shells, and received steady installments of laundered fraud proceeds until the month before his arrest in this case. Altogether, Dr. Arabi’s siblings bought 15 pieces of luxury real estate with the proceeds of his fraud.  The forfeiture order entered as part of Dr. Arabi’s sentencing reflects the disgorgement of these ill-gotten gains from Dr. Arabi. Even when Qualcomm filed a civil suit against Dr. Arabi, his sister, and Abreezio’s CEO, the deception did not end. Dr. Arabi and his sister answered requests from Qualcomm about the origins of Abreezio’s technology by producing a falsified research notebook that, as shown during trial, was created years after the fact. And Dr. Arabi himself directed one of his accomplices to delete emails when he learned he was being investigated.

“The defendant’s conduct was a staggering betrayal of trust,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “He spent years scheming, lying, and hiding his deception so he could secretly enrich himself at his employer’s expense. His complex and devious fraud cost the company more than $150 million. This sentence—four years in prison and massive restitution and forfeiture—reflects the seriousness of his crimes and sends an unmistakable message: corporate criminals who abuse their positions out of greed will face justice.”

“Karim Arabi conspired to profit from technology he knew he had no lawful right to claim, betraying his then-employer,” said Mark Dargis Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “Corporate fraud hurts more than individual companies and their shareholders—it also damages the trust of entire communities. FBI San Diego is proud to have worked with our law enforcement partners at the IRS and U.S. Marshals Service to conduct a thorough investigation ensuring Arabi was held accountable for this elaborate scheme.”

“This case underscores the importance of corporate integrity and the serious consequences of betraying that trust. Mr. Arabi’s actions were not only deceptive but deeply calculated, involving layers of misrepresentation and concealment,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “The sentence sends a clear message, no matter how sophisticated the scheme, those who defraud and manipulate for personal gain will be held accountable.”

The sentencing took place on October 28, 2025. This press release was delayed due to the lapse in appropriations.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas W. Pilchak, Janaki G. Chopra and Eric R. Olah.

DEFENDANT                                 Case Number 22-CR-1152-BAS                                      

Karim Arabi                                        Age: 59                                   Oceanside, CA

CHARGES

Wire Fraud Conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349

Maximum Penalties: Twenty years in prison; $1 million fine or twice the amount of the criminally derived property involved in the transaction

Wire Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343

Maximum Penalties: Twenty years in prison; $1 million fine

Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h)

Maximum Penalties: Twenty years in prison; $500,000 fine or twice the amount of the criminally derived property involved in the transaction

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation

United States Marshals Service

SAN DIEGO – Russell Thurston, a former executive vice president at Cambridge International Systems, Inc., a defense contractor headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, was sentenced in federal court today to 18 months custody, followed by 12 months home confinement, after admitting that he participated in a bribery scheme with other Cambridge employees and former Naval Information Warfare Center employee James Soriano.

According to Thurston’s plea agreement, Cambridge – acting through Thurston and multiple other Cambridge employees – gave various things of value to Soriano, including expensive meals at restaurants in San Diego; a ticket to the 2018 Major League Baseball All Star Game held at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.; and a job at Cambridge for Soriano’s friend, Liberty Gutierrez. According to Gutierrez’s plea agreement, Gutierrez did minimal work at Cambridge and gave Soriano $2,000 a month from her Cambridge salary.

In return, Soriano, acting in his position as a contracting officer’s representative at Naval Information Warfare Center, influenced the procurement process to ensure that Cambridge was awarded two large task orders. Soriano further ensured that Cambridge was able to capture a steady stream of government funds by influencing a series of projects on those task orders to be approved. According to Cambridge’s plea agreement, as a result of the conspiracy, the government obligated more than $32 million on one of the task orders and over $100 million on the other.

Soriano also allowed Cambridge employees to draft various procurement documents for him, even when Cambridge was competing for contracts against other bidders. Thurston and Soriano also worked together to remove document properties so that other government employees would not know of Cambridge’s involvement in drafting the documents.

Cambridge was separately charged and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery in 24-cr-00759-TWR. Cambridge was ordered to forfeit the $1,672,102.23 in profits it obtained from the bribery conspiracy and pay a $2.25 million fine.

According to Thurston’s plea agreement, Thurston received periodic pay bonuses from Cambridge – which totaled between $150,000 and $250,000 – based on the profits Cambridge received from the bribery conspiracy.

“Defense contracting is built on trust, integrity, and a solemn duty to protect the nation, but this defendant and his accomplices shattered that trust,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “Today’s sentence makes clear that those who corrupt the system for personal gain will face decisive consequences.”

“The sentencing of Mr. Thurston for his role in subverting the Department of Defense’s (DoD) procurement process should act as a deterrent to those seeking to enrich themselves through fraudulent contracting practices,” said John E. Helsing, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the DoD Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Western Field Office. “DCIS remains committed to working jointly with the United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to investigate public corruption affecting the DoD and the American taxpayer.”

“Today’s sentencing of Russell Thurston is a reminder that corruption in the federal contracting process carries serious consequences,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “By conspiring to bribe a government official, Mr. Thurston not only violated the law - he also undermined the integrity of a system meant to serve our military and protect taxpayer dollars. IRS Criminal Investigation remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to expose and dismantle these schemes, and to ensure that those who abuse positions of trust are held fully accountable.”

“Through his misdeeds, Mr. Thurston undermined the integrity of the Department of the Navy’s procurement process in order to line his own pockets with millions of dollars in contract awards,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the NCIS Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS remains steadfast in our commitment to work with our partners to investigate and deter public corruption that would bring discredit to the Navy and Marine Corps.”

“This case demonstrates our commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to root out fraud and corruption in government contracting,” said Tim Larson, SBA OIG Western Region Acting Special Agent in Charge. “By exploiting the 8(a) program this scheme not only defrauded the government but also compromised the integrity of the program designed to uplift deserving entrepreneurs. I would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners for their continued pursuit of justice and holding accountable those who engage in fraudulent schemes.”

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick C. Swan and Carling E. Donovan.

DEFENDANT                                               Case Number 24-cr-0341-TWR-2                          

Russell Thurston                                             Age: 52                                   Mt. Pleasant, SC

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Conspiracy to Commit Bribery - Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371

Maximum penalty: Five years in prison; a maximum $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss resulting from the offense, whichever is greatest; and a term of supervised release up to three years.

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Defense Criminal Investigative Service

Naval Criminal Investigative Service

Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General

Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation

Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General

If you have information regarding fraud, waste, or abuse relating to Department of Defense personnel or operations, please contact the DoD Hotline at 800-424-9098

SAN DIEGO – Former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Diego Bonillo was sentenced in federal court to 15 years in prison for allowing vehicles containing methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl to enter the U.S.

In his plea agreement, Bonillo acknowledged that he worked for a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization wherein he agreed to accept payment for using his official position as an officer to allow drug-laden vehicles into the U.S. from Mexico without inspection. Bonillo admitted that as part of the conspiracy he allowed at least 75 kilograms of fentanyl, 11.7 kilograms of methamphetamine, and over 1 kilogram of heroin, into the United States.

According to the government’s sentencing documents, during the investigation, agents discovered that Bonillo was using a second phone that was unknown to law enforcement to transmit his lane assignments to members of the drug trafficking organization so they would know which lane and what time to send their smugglers to ensure their entry. Eventually, agents determined that Bonillo’s role in the scheme began no later than October 2023 and continued until April 2024, allowing at least 15 vehicles to enter uninspected. According to the sentencing materials, Bonillo used his proceeds to travel internationally, purchase luxury gifts, buy tickets to the Canelo versus Munguia boxing match, attempt to purchase property in Mexico, and spend time at the Hong Kong Gentlemen’s Club in Tijuana, Mexico.

“This sentence holds Bonillo accountable for betraying the public trust,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “He weaponized his badge for personal profit, funneling deadly narcotics through a port of entry and putting communities at risk. Corruption like this will be met with the full force of the law — and we will not hesitate to pursue and punish those who trade duty for dollars.”

“Corrupt Customs and Border Protection officers betray their oath and endanger our national security,” said DHS Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D. “This sentence sends a clear message that such betrayal of public trust will not be tolerated.”

“Former CBP Officer Diego Bonillo allowed massive amounts of drugs into the U.S. without regard for the deadly consequences it could have on our communities,” said Mark Dargis, Special Agent in Charge of FBI San Diego Field Office. “He disgraced the badge and violated his oath to protect the American people. This conduct betrays the public’s trust and is contradictory to the values and standards expected of a federal law enforcement officer. FBI San Diego and our partners will not tolerate such dishonorable behavior. This sentence reflects the FBI’s commitment to hold accountable anyone who corrupts their role at the expense of our citizens’ safety.”

The sentencing took place on November 7, 2025. This press release was delayed due to the lapse in appropriations.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Van Demark, Bianca Calderon-Peñaloza, and Shauna Prewitt.

DEFENDANT                                   Case Number 24cr0908-RBM                                            

Diego Bonillo                                     Age: 31                       Chula Vista, Mexico

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances – Title 21, United States Code, Sections 952, 960, and 963

Maximum Penalty: Life in prison with a 10-year mandatory minimum

Importation of Controlled Substances - Title 21, United States Code, Sections 952 and 960

Maximum Penalty: Life in prison with a 10-year mandatory minimum

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Federal Bureau of Investigation – Border Corruption Task Force

Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General

U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Professional Responsibility

U.S. Border Patrol – San Diego Sector Intelligence Unit

Homeland Security Investigations - SDNET

Drug Enforcement Administration

Homeland Security Investigations – Hermosillo Attaché

WASHINGTON – Oleksandr Didenko, 28, of Kyiv, Ukraine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in connection with a years-long scheme that stole the identities of U.S. citizens and sold them to North Korean IT workers so they could fraudulently gain employment at 40 U.S. companies, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

Didenko, aka “Alexander Didenko,” pleaded guilty before Judge Randolph D. Moss to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft. Didenko agreed to forfeit more than $1.4 million, which includes approximately $181,438 in USD and cryptocurrency seized from Didenko and his co-conspirators.

Judge Moss scheduled sentencing for Feb. 19, 2026.

According to court documents, Didenko ran a website using a U.S.-based domain, "Upworksell.com," designed to help overseas IT workers buy or rent stolen or borrowed identities. Beginning in 2021, the IT workers used the identities to get hired on online freelance work platforms based in California and Pennsylvania. The work platforms allowed users to advertise themselves as contract gig workers, create free accounts, advertise their skills, and bid on IT work contracts.

Didenko paid individuals in the United States to receive and host computers at residences in Virginia, Tennessee, and Califomia.

In September-October, 2023, one of Didenko’s customers was unhappy with the services provided by his laptop farm in Virginia. The customer directed Didenko to send the computer to a laptop farm operated in Arizina by Christina Chapman.  Chapman was sentenced on July 24, 2025, to 102 months of imprisonment for her involvement in a similar scheme involving IT workers from North Korea.

Through his company Didenko managed as many as 871 proxy identities and facilitated the operation of at least three  U.S.-based “laptop farms.” He enabled his overseas clients to access the U.S. financial system through Money Service Transmitters rather than having to physically open an account at a bank within the United States, which was then used to facilitate the transfer of employment income to foreign bank accounts.

The IT worker clients were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for their work, much of which was falsely reported to DHS, the IRS and Social Security Administration in the names of actual U.S. persons whose identities had been stolen.

On May 16, 2024, the Justice Department seized the online domain, Upworksell.com, and diverted all traffic to the FBI. Polish authorities arrested Didenko and on Dec. 31, 2024, extradited him to the United States.

This case was investigated by the FBI New York Field Office, with assistance from the FBI Norfolk, San Diego, and Knoxville Field Offices.

The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen P. Seifert and Steven Wasserman for the District of Columbia. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of California, Eastern District of Tennessee, and Eastern District of Virginia, Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and Trial Attorney Jacques-Singer Emory of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section provided valuable assistance.

24cr0261

SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 87 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).

In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.

A sample of border-related arrests this week:

• On September 22, Jesus Alfredo Castro Sanchez, a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with Attempted Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. In the same incident, Marcos Octavio Huerta-Pena, Anabel Lopez, Lorenzo Martinez Mateos and Jaime Romero Solano – also Mexican nationals - were arrested and charged with Attempted Entry after Deportation. According to a complaint, 11 people aboard a 26-foot vessel were intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard after a brief ocean pursuit. Castro Sanchez was identified as the boat captain. The U.S. Coast guard disabled the motor of the 26-foot vessel about 9 miles north of the border. The defendants and other passengers were transported to Point Loma and turned over to the Border Patrol.
• On September 23, Krystal Vanessa Santibanez, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance.  According to a complaint, Santibanez attempted to enter the United States at the San Ysidro Port of Entry with 115 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in the spare tire, rear quarter panel and gas tank of her car.

Also recently, a number of defendants with criminal records were convicted by a jury or sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here are a few of those cases:

• On September 22, Jose Miguel Verduzco Mendoza, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of felony Disorderly Conduct with a Deadly Weapon or Dangerous Instrument and Misconduct Involving Weapons in November 2024, was sentenced in federal court to 92 days in custody for entering the U.S illegally.
• On September 26, Emilio Anchundia Bailon, a 41-year-old Ecuadorian citizen, was sentenced to 72 months in prison for Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute on Board a Vessel. The amount of cocaine involved was 1,410kgs.
• On September 26, Pedro Valencia-Anguiano, a Mexican citizen who was previously convicted of “DUI Alcohol – Causing Bodily Injury – Use of Firearm” in 2023, was sentenced in federal court to 89 days in custody for again entering the U.S. illegally.

The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.

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 DIEGO – Benjamin Madrigal-Birrueta, an undocumented Mexican national living in Yakima, Washington, admitted in federal court today that he murdered a man and his six-months-pregnant wife while they were engaged in a drug trafficking conspiracy.

According to his plea agreement, Madrigal-Birrueta and coconspirators fatally shot 44-year-old Cesar Murillo multiple times in the back of the head and the torso on August 28, 2022, during an argument. The shooting took place at a remote ranch outside of Yakima. Madrigal-Birrueta’s co-conspirators then buried the victim’s body near the ranch at Madrigal’s direction.

On September 2, 2022, Madrigal-Birrueta persuaded Murillo’s wife, Maira Hernandez, 33, who was unaware of her husband’s death, to come to the ranch by claiming her husband was waiting for her there. She agreed, and the defendant picked up Hernandez in Yakima and drove her to the ranch.

According to admissions in his plea agreement, when the visibly-pregnant Hernandez arrived at the ranch, the defendant’s coconspirators shot her multiple times in the head. Madrigal-Birrueta and his coconspirators then buried Hernandez near the ranch. The child died in utero when Hernandez was shot, killed and buried.

Madrigal-Birrueta admitted the murders were committed while he was engaged in a drug trafficking conspiracy. The plea agreement said Madrigal-Birrueta’s coconspirators owed money to the couple for an unpaid drug debt.

Madrigal-Birrueta is scheduled to be sentenced on March 27, 2026.

The superseding indictment also charges Ricardo Orizaba-Zendejas with being an accessory after the fact to murder and a co-conspirator in Madrigal’s drug trafficking organization. Orizaba-Zendejas is set for trial beginning October 27, 2025

According to court filings, the investigation originated with the seizure of drugs from vehicles entering the United States through San Diego area ports of entry between August and October of 2021. By August of 2022, the investigation led agents to a group of individuals operating out of Yakima. Special Agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) interviewed Murillo and Hernandez. Within days of those interviews, Murillo and Hernandez were murdered and their bodies buried at the Yakima ranch in the high desert. Court filings describe how these charges followed an exhaustive, years’ long investigation that employed geophysicists, ground penetrating radar, aircraft, laser imaging, chemical testing of the soil, numerous cadaver dogs, and other law enforcement techniques to search for the victims’ remains. HSI Special Agents successfully recovered the remains on September 13, 2023, aided by a Washington State Police Crime Scene Investigations team.

During the investigation agents seized methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, multiple firearms — including a machine gun — and body armor from Madrigal-Birrueta’s drug trafficking organization, to include the Yakima ranch.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Wong, Alexandra Foster, Mario Peia and Brandon Kimura.

DEFENDANTS                                   Case Number 23cr1684-RBM                                    

Benjamin Madrigal-Birrueta                  Age: 22                        Yakima, WA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Count 4: Murder of Cesar Murillo in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Conspiracy – Title 21, United States Code, Section 848(e)

Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum sentence of twenty years and up to life, or death

Count 5: Murder of Maira Hernandez in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Conspiracy – Title 21, United States Code, Section 848(e)

Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum twenty years and up to life, or death

Count 9: Causing the Death of a Child in Utero – Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1841 and 1111.

Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum life in prison or death

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Homeland Security Investigations

Drug Enforcement Administration

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Washington State Police

California Highway Patrol

Yakima Police Department

Tulare County Sheriff’s Office

Visalia Police Department

Fresno Sheriff’s Office

Fresno Police Department

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 102 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).

In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.

A sample of border-related arrests this week:

• On September 18, Ruben Castaneda, a United States citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers found 15 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in the spare tire well of Castaneda’s vehicle when he applied for entry into the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
• On September 18, Efrain Viveros Otero, a citizen of Mexico, was arrested and charged with Deported Alien Found in the United States. According to a complaint, Viveros was intercepted by a Border Patrol agent while hiding near a bush about 1.5 miles east of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry, a half mile north of the U.S.-Mexico border. He had been previously deported in January through San Ysidro.

Also recently, a number of defendants with criminal records were convicted by a jury or sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here are a few of those cases:

• On September 18, Edgar Ramirez-Guzman, a Mexican national who was previously convicted twice for Inflicting Corporal Injury on Spouse (2013 and 2023) and being a Convicted Felon in Possession of a Firearm (2020), was sentenced in federal court to 12 months and 1 day of custody for attempting to enter the United States again after deportation.
• On September 19, Manuel Francisco Gallegos-Felix, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of conspiracy to possess narcotics with intent to distribute and found with 11 firearms (including a fully automatic machine gun located in his bedroom), was sentenced in federal court to 10 months in custody for again entering the U.S. illegally.
• On September 19, Andrew Aquarious Thomas, a United States citizen, was sentenced in federal court to 15 months in custody for importing 33 kilograms of methamphetamine into the United States from Mexico.   
• On September 19, Erik Adrian Serveriano-Torres, a Mexican citizen who has seven prior immigration crimes, was sentenced in federal court to 19 months in custody for again entering the United States illegally.
• On September 19, Francisco Marvel Melchor Rosales, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of felony importation of methamphetamine in 2014, was sentenced to 140 days in custody for again entering the U.S. illegally.

The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.

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 DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 97 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).

In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.

A sample of border-related arrests this week:

• On September 5, Marco Arizmendi-Rodriguez, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Attempted Entry after Deportation. According to a complaint, Border Patrol agents intercepted the defendant as he slowly crawled across terrain near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry after he illegally crossed into the United States from Mexico. The defendant was previously deported to Mexico in June 2011 from Calexico.
• On September 7, Jesus Campos, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers found 54 pounds of fentanyl and four pounds of heroin concealed in his vehicle when he applied for entry in the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
• On September 8, Cesar Verdugo-Cabrera, Santos Martinez-Almaraz, Ricardo Natividad Nunez-Pacheco and Jose Carmelo Ortiz-Castro, citizens of Mexico and Guatemala, were arrested by Customs and Border Protection officers after a short pursuit at sea. According to a complaint, Verdugo was charged with Attempted Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain as the alleged captain of a panga-style fishing vessel carrying undocumented immigrants; the others were charged with Attempted Entry after Deportation.

The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.

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 DIEGO – The U.S. Attorney’s Office, San Diego City Attorney’s Office and the non-profit MESA (Mentoring and Empowering Student Athletes) Foundation will host a three-on-three basketball tournament featuring San Diego State University Men’s Basketball student athletes as referees and members of the SDSU Greek System as participants to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl.

Media is invited to cover the tournament, to be held on September 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Aztec Recreation Center on the SDSU campus (5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA 92182) will highlight the urgent threat fentanyl poses to the community, particularly to college students and young adults. The tournament will feature educational booths with information on fentanyl awareness, prevention and resources on how to obtain free naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan.

Naloxone is an opioid overdose reversal medication, available either as a nasal spray or an injector. In California, naloxone can be purchased from a pharmacist without a prescription. It is also possible to get naloxone from community-based distribution programs, local public health groups, or local health departments at no cost. For more information about naloxone and how to get training on using it, visit: Naloxone Information.

This is the third time that the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the City Attorney’s Office have teamed up to feature SDSU student athletes in partnership with an SDSU NIL organization. In 2024, the SDSU Women’s Soccer Team participated in a social media campaign to spread fentanyl awareness, and in 2023 the SDSU men’s basketball team participated in the first-ever social media campaign between law enforcement and collegiate athletics to promote fentanyl prevention.

“This tournament is about more than basketball – it’s about educating young people on the dangers of fentanyl and how to respond in the case of an overdose,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “We are proud to partner with SDSU, the City Attorney’s Office, and the MESA Foundation to reach students with these terrific SDSU basketball ambassadors”.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have attacked the fentanyl crisis through aggressive prosecutions at every level of the supply chain – from cartel leadership to cross-border trafficking organizations, to money launderers, to street level dealers who are selling drugs that result in overdose deaths.

“Fentanyl has taken too many lives, and prevention starts with awareness,” said San Diego City Attorney Heather Ferbert. “By partnering with SDSU, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the MESA Foundation, we’re reaching students directly with life-saving information and resources. Our goal is to empower young people to make safe choices and help keep our campuses and communities healthy.”

MESA is the official partner of San Diego State Athletics dedicated to the advancement of Aztec Basketball and community outreach. Through this partnership, MESA connects Aztec basketball student-athletes with community-based organizations, charitable initiatives, and local businesses across San Diego. More information about the MESA Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, can be found here https://www.mesa-aztecs.org/

For further information, please contact Logan Manning, Law Enforcement Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (619) 546-7344, or Special Assistant U.S. Attorney/Deputy City Attorney Mark Robertson at (619) 533-5500.

Press officials are permitted to film the participants in the tournament only.   

       Press please RSVP to logan.manning@usdoj.gov

SAN DIEGO – Michael Pratt, the mastermind of the sprawling GirlsDoPorn sex trafficking empire, was sentenced in federal court today to 27 years in prison for orchestrating a scheme that deceived and exploited hundreds of women and left a trail of broken lives.

Pratt, the owner and operator of GirlsDoPorn.com and GirlsDoToys.com, built a multimillion-dollar criminal empire by luring young women into pornography through lies, coercion, and manipulation, and then broadcasting their abuse to millions online.

At today’s hearing, 40 women urged the court to hand down the maximum sentence, some tearfully describing their ordeals in San Diego hotel rooms where they were exploited, coerced, raped,  abused and trapped. Some talked about the aftermath of trauma that included many years of suicide attempts; diagnoses of depression, anxiety and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; lost jobs and relationships; stalkers and threats and harassment; and the heavy burden of shame and fear they still carry. Some told of having cosmetic surgery to alter their appearance; several testified that they changed their names; others spoke of substance abuse and alcoholism; one said she had a glass of wine for breakfast just to make it to court today. Most of the victims were 18-21 years old when they were exploited.

Pratt and his co-conspirators posted misleading modeling ads, preyed on vulnerable women, and promised their sex videos would never be seen online. In reality, Pratt’s employees posted  the videos onto his websites – which featured young women appearing in their first pornographic videos - and even promoted them on free pornography platforms like PornHub to drive traffic. Victims were coerced into finishing shoots under threats of lawsuits, cancelled flights, and exposure. Some were effectively trapped in hotel rooms by camera equipment blocking the exits.

“Pratt has caused me to fear my own name,” one woman said.

“The life I was meant to have, died in that hotel room,” another told the court.

“Profit over people. Cruelty over humanity,” another said.

Many spoke directly to Pratt:

“I am not your victim. I’m your reckoning…I am the girl who took you down,” said a victim who was a 21-year-old law student at the time. “Look around! We are an army of survivors sharing our truth and we have won.”

Another woman, who was a 19-year-old dance teacher to children but was fired, told Pratt: “You are evil. You are a predator. You are a rapist. This is who you are. Your ego was too big to believe you’d ever get caught but karma comes around. It is your turn now to suffer.”

A woman who was a 21-year-old college student studying to become a teacher said: “This crime dismantled my identity. I lost my voice and sense of safety…The shame and despair were unbearable.”

Another woman who was a college-bound high school senior but dropped out because of her ordeal said: “This was a theft of my identity, my safety, my dreams and my peace.”

After hearing about five hours of testimony from the women, U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino told the defendant that his position as the leader, organizer and mastermind of the massive trafficking organization compelled her to add time to the sentence. “I’ve been doing this a very long time and I’ve never had a case like this before, of this magnitude…The sheer scope and magnitude of this offense causes this court to vary upward.”

Throughout the conspiracy, GirlsDoPorn and GirlsDoToys received millions of views. To promote the websites, video content from both sites was posted on free porn sites such as Pornhub.com, one of the world’s most visited websites. The videos from GirlsDoPorn and GirlsDoToys posted on PornHub were often viewed millions of times according to PornHub’s own view counters. The websites charged visitors a subscription fee to access content, and generated millions of dollars in revenue for Pratt.

To recruit young women to appear in videos for the websites, Pratt and some of his employees (at Pratt’s direction) often told the prospective models that their sex videos would never be posted on-line, that the videos would never be released in the United States, and that no one who knew the women would ever find out about their video, representations that Pratt and other members of the conspiracy knew were false. Women from various places throughout the United States and Canada were recruited to appear in videos based on these material misrepresentations.

Even after Pratt learned that victims’ names and personal details were being doxxed on pornwikileaks.com, he pressed forward with his scheme, reaping millions in profit while ignoring desperate pleas from women begging him to take their videos down.

“Pratt was a calculating and cruel predator,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “He lured young victims, caused others to abuse them on video, and then taunted them for years as they sought to reclaim their names. Afterwards these victims suffered each day the cruelty of the internet and social media. As one victim said today during sentencing, ‘Pratt caused me to fear my own name.’ We as a society failed these women. They were forced to walk alone. But today as they confronted Pratt, they personified courage and grace. They showed everyone what should have been apparent when they first were victimized - they don’t need society’s forgiveness, we need theirs.”

“Pratt admittedly engaged in a conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, making millions off a deliberate and reprehensible scheme, showing no regard for the suffering he caused,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Dargis of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office. “At his direction, Pratt and his co-conspirators manipulated women into participating in pornographic videos and then bullied, lied, or threatened them when they tried to leave. He then cowardly fled the country in an attempt to avoid prosecution, but the FBI and our domestic and foreign law enforcement partners were determined to hold Pratt accountable for the harm he inflicted on his victims’ lives. Today’s sentence reflects that investigative persistence, ensuring justice was rightfully served.”

The GirlsDoPorn investigation and prosecution spanned years, involving FBI agents, FBI analysts, the U.S. Marshal Service, victim advocates, and prosecutors who worked tirelessly to secure justice for the victims. Multiple co-conspirators have been convicted in connection with the scheme, but Pratt’s sentencing marks the most significant step in dismantling the criminal network he created.

Pratt was charged in October 2019 in the Southern District of California with sex trafficking crimes in connection with the scheme to deceive and coerce young women to appear in pornographic videos. Pratt liquidated his assets and fled the United States in mid-2019. He was named to the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted list and lived as an international fugitive for more than three years until his arrest in Spain in December 2022 and extradition to San Diego in March 2024.

Pratt pleaded guilty on June 5, 2025, to Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud and Coercion; and Committing Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud and Coercion. Prosecutors argued for the longest sentence given the serious nature of the offenses, Pratt’s leadership role, and the length of the conspiracy.

For more information on Pratts’ plea, please see https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/girlsdoporn-owner-michael-pratt-pleads-guilty-sex-trafficking.

Pratt has received the longest sentence so far of all the conspirators. Ruben Andre Garcia was sentenced to 20 years in prison on June 14, 2021. Theodore Gyi was sentenced to four years in prison on November 9, 2022. Matthew Wolfe was sentenced to 14 years in prison on March 20, 2024. Valorie Moser, the office manager, is set for sentencing on September 12, 2025.

One of the women said: “Today is the day we all get to reclaim our lives. As I stand here, I feel something I haven’t felt in years: Empowerment. After today I choose healing. I choose to reclaim the dreams I once had.”

Another testified: “For years I carried shame that never belonged to me…Today I will walk out of this courtroom an empowered woman. You will walk out in shackles.”

DEFENDANTS                                            Case Number 19cr4488-JLS

Michael Pratt                           Age: 42           Sentenced to 27 years on September 8, 2025

Matthew Wolfe                       Age: 43           Sentenced to 14 years on March 20, 2024

Ruben Andre Garcia               Age: 36           Sentenced to 20 years on June 4, 2021

Theodore Gyi                          Age: 47           Sentenced to 4 years on November 9, 2022

Valorie Moser                         Age: 43           To be sentenced on September 12, 2025

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Sex Trafficking Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1594

Maximum penalty: Life in prison and $250,000 fine

Sex Trafficking – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1591

Mandatory Minimum: Fifteen years in prison

Maximum penalty: Life in prison and $250,000 fine

INVESTIGATING AGENCY

FBI – Southern District of California and Legal Attaché in Spain

San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force

U.S. Marshals Service

U.S. Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs

Spanish National Police

Spain’s Ministry of Justice

Spain’s Ministry of Interior

SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 97 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).

In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.

A sample of border-related arrests this week:

• On August 29, Ernesto Cota-Flores, Yaritza Borges Garcia and Idania Yolanda Castillo-Raymundo, all Mexican citizens, were arrested and charged with Attempted Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted a vessel off Point Loma carrying 13 suspected undocumented immigrants, including three children. Cota-Flores is the alleged boat captain; Borges Garcia and Castillo-Raymundo were previously deported in June.
• On August 31, Luis Gustavo Sanchez Sanchez, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Sanchez attempted to cross into the United States at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry with 123 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in his vehicle.
• On September 1, Maria Rivas-Acosta, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Attempted Entry After Deportation. According to a complaint, Border Patrol agents found the defendant hiding in the bushes just north of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. She had been previously deported to Mexico on May 5, 2025, through San Luis, Arizona.

Also recently, several defendants with criminal records were sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here are a few of those cases:

• On September 5, Emiliano Rendon-Rodriguez, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of felony Burglary, Possession of Controlled Substances for Sale, and Illegal Entry, was sentenced in federal court to 52 days in custody for again entering the U.S illegally.
• On September 5, Jose David Morales-Rodriguez, a Mexican national, was sentenced in federal court to 87 months in custody for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine in the Brawley, California area.

The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.

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.

A federal grand jury has indicted an alleged leader of a violent faction of the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico on terrorism, drug, and firearm charges, including engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise.

According to the superseding indictment returned yesterday in the Northern District of Illinois, Oscar Manuel Gastelum Iribe, 50, of Sinaloa, Mexico, also known as El Musico, directed the importation of large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and other drugs — at times in shipments of hundreds or thousands of kilograms — into the United States on behalf of the Beltran Leyva faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, a designated foreign terrorist organization.

“As alleged, Oscar Manuel Gastelum Iribe led a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel that flooded the United States with fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin and used murder and intimidation to protect its profits,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Sinaloa Cartel has been designated a foreign terrorist organization because of the kinds of crimes announced today. This indictment further demonstrates that the Criminal Division will use every tool at its disposal to target cartel leaders, including by holding them accountable for acts of terrorism against our country.”

“Today’s narcoterrorism indictment of El Musico sends a powerful message that this Administration is going to aggressively pursue transnational criminal organizations and hold their highest-ranking members and associates accountable for poisoning the American public with illegal and harmful drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office has a proud history going back many decades of prosecuting some of the nation’s biggest and most significant narcotrafficking cartel cases. Building on that tradition, under my leadership, our office will continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of violent drug cartels, several of which, including the Sinaloa Cartel, have very deservedly been designated as foreign terrorist organizations. Working closely with other prosecutors and law enforcement partners across the United States, our goal remains unchanged: to disrupt and dismantle the Sinaloa Cartel’s drug empire and bring its leaders to justice.”

“From narcocorridos to narcoterrorist. El Musico famously writes his own lyrics, but his next one will be written from the Bureau of Prisons,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California. “As El Musico once boasted, ‘La vida es curiosa, hoy soy poderoso,’ but soon his ‘Rancho Querido’ will be nothing but a distant memory.”

“This indictment sends a clear and uncompromising message: cartel leaders who flood our streets with fentanyl and arm their networks with machine guns and grenades are not just drug traffickers — they are terrorists,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “Oscar Manuel Gastelum Iribe and his faction turned cartel violence into a campaign of terror, targeting police, military, and civilians alike. DEA remains relentless in our pursuit of these narco-terrorists, and we will not stop until the Sinaloa Cartel — and every organization like it — is dismantled, its leaders brought to justice, and American families protected.”

“The indictment of El Musico and the dismantlement of the leadership structure of these foreign terrorist organizations are direct results of the unwavering commitment of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and our law enforcement partners to protect the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations San Diego. “We remain resolute in our mission to bring all members of these criminal cartels to justice, regardless of where they attempt to evade accountability.”

“As a leader of a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, Gastelum Iribe allegedly directed the importation of cocaine, heroine, fentanyl, and other lethal drugs into the United States and oversaw atrocious acts of violence, including kidnappings and murders, in Mexico,” said Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division. “The superseding indictment against him is the result of years of collaboration among multiple federal agencies and judicial districts. The FBI and our partners will continue to work toward dismantling the Sinaloa Cartel and bringing its violent leaders — including El Musico — to justice.”

After the arrest or death of the faction’s original leaders, Gastelum Iribe assumed a leadership role and conspired with associates to distribute drugs nationwide. including in the Chicago area, using cars, trucks, rail cars, and other interstate carriers. To protect the cartel’s operations, Gastelum Iribe allegedly ordered and carried out violent attacks against rivals, military personnel, and law enforcement, including ordering the murder of a Mexican police officer and two others. Under Gastelum Iribe’s leadership, the faction armed its members with machine guns, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, explosives, and other weapons, while also engaging in kidnappings, assaults, and bribery of corrupt public officials.

Gastelum Iribe is charged with terrorism, drug trafficking, and firearm offenses. The terrorism charges, which accuse Gastelum Iribe of engaging in narcoterrorism and providing material support and resources to the Sinaloa Cartel, is a result of President Trump’s Executive Order 14157 designating the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and the State Department’s subsequent designation of the same in February of this year.

If convicted, Gastelum Iribe faces a mandatory penalty of life in prison. He is not in custody and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.

The indictment is the result of a collaboration between prosecutors in the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, the Northern District of Illinois, and Southern District of California, as well as law enforcement partners from Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, and DEA.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s OCDETF and Project Safe Neighborhoods.

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

SAN DIEGO – Luis Enrique Villegas Brownell and his girlfriend, Kassandra Sanchez, were charged in federal court with stealing the identity of Sanchez’s brother to commit a variety of federal crimes in the United States.

According to the indictment, Villegas, a Mexican citizen without legal status in the United States, and Sanchez, a U.S. citizen, conspired to steal identification documents belonging to Sanchez’s brother, identified in court records as J.D.S. Villegas then used those documents to falsely pose as a U.S. citizen and apply for entry into the United States.

Once in the United States, Villegas went to the California DMV and provided false information under penalty of perjury to obtain a state ID card in the name of J.D.S. but bearing Villegas’s photo and thumbprint. He and Sanchez then used the fraudulent ID to impersonate J.D.S. and cross the border unlawfully for more than a year. Prosecutors say that Villegas crossed more than 50 times in the past 17 months, often with Sanchez driving to the port of entry and presenting the fraudulent ID to border officers. Port-of-entry video shows Sanchez lying to officers about Villegas’s birthplace and concealing his true identity.

According to court documents, the real J.D.S. applied for entry to the United States at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in April 2025 but was unable to cross due to the theft of his identity. During that encounter, J.D.S. reported to border officers that his sister, Sanchez, asked for his identity documents to smuggle her Mexican boyfriend into the United States. When he declined, she took them without his consent.

The government also alleges Villegas used J.D.S.’s identity to commit other federal crimes, including smuggling an undocumented immigrant through the San Ysidro Port of Entry and fraudulently obtaining California public benefits such as Medi-Cal.

Sanchez allegedly committed the offenses while on supervised release for a prior federal conviction in the Southern District of California relating to an arrest for smuggling methamphetamine into the United States.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick C. Swan.

DEFENDANTS                                            Case Number: 25cr3286-BTM                               

Luis Enrique Villegas Brownell                                  Age: 20                       Tijuana, Mexico

Kassandra Sanchez                                                      Age: 23                       San Diego, California

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371

Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and $250,000 fine

Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1028(f)

Maximum penalty: Fifteen years in prison and $250,000 fine

Unlawful Production of Identification Document – Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 1028(a)(1), (b)(1)(A)(ii), and 2

Maximum penalty: Fifteen years in prison and $250,000 fine

False Personation in Immigration Matter – Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 1546(a) and 2

Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine

False Claim to U.S. Citizenship – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 911

Maximum penalty: Three years in prison and $250,000 fine

Aggravated Identity Theft – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1028A(a)(1)

Maximum penalty: Mandatory two years in prison, served consecutive to any other sentence

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Homeland Security Investigations

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 102 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).

In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.

A sample of border-related arrests this week:

• On August 22, Juan Nunez-Bravo was arrested and charged with Attempted Entry after Deportation. According to a complaint, Nunez-Bravo tried to enter the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry by telling a Customs and Border Protection officer that he was a U.S. citizen who had lost his documents. The officer discovered through fingerprints that Nunez-Bravo was, in fact, a Mexican citizen who had been previously deported in 1996 and 2012.
• On August 27, Jose Alfred Vasquez-Garcia, a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with Attempted Entry after Deportation. According to a complaint, the defendant was aboard a 20-foot white boat with other undocumented immigrants when it was intercepted by a Customs and Border Protection vessel. Vasquez-Garcia had been previously deported on May 6 from the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
• On August 27, Luzbelen Gonzalez, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain and Aggravated Identity Theft. According to a complaint, the defendant attempted used a bogus birth certificate to smuggle a child into the United States through the San Ysidro Port of Entry pedestrian lanes in a stroller. The woman claimed the child was her two-year-old daughter. A Customs and Border Protection officer asked the defendant to remove the blankets obscuring the child in the stroller and discovered a nine-year-old girl from Oaxaca.
• On August 27, Jonathan Gomez Rangel, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Gomez attempted to cross the border at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry when Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 51 packages weighing 120 pounds of cocaine concealed in the roof of the vehicle.

Also recently, a number of defendants with criminal records were sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here are a few of those cases:

• On August 25, Mirhzan Javier Roa-Gomez, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of misdemeanor illegal entry in March, was sentenced in federal court to 66 days in custody for again entering the U.S illegally.
• On August 29, Hector Armando Ibarra Mendoza, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of felony stalking and injury to a spouse/cohabitant, was sentenced in federal court to 12 months in custody for again entering the U.S illegally.

The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.

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 DIEGO – Twenty-eight alleged members of a Chinese organized crime ring are charged in four federal grand jury indictments with participating in a massive $65 million fraud scheme targeting thousands of seniors across the United States—including a 97-year-old San Diego widow of a Holocaust survivor who lost her entire life savings.

After a nationwide, weeklong takedown in California, New York, Texas and Michigan, 25 of the defendants have been arrested; all are charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS-Criminal Investigations executed more than a dozen search and seizure warrants this week. The searches resulted in the seizure of more than $4.2 million from financial accounts as well as several luxury vehicles, including a 2022 Mercedes-Benz G63, a 2024 Porsche Panamera, and a 2025 GMC Yukon Denali.

Operating since at least 2019 and rooted in Southern California, the criminal network—primarily composed of Chinese nationals, many in the U.S. illegally—worked closely with India-based scam call centers. Fraudsters who took the calls posed as technical support agents, government officials, or bank employees, according to court records.

Victims received unsolicited calls or emails directing them to call various phone numbers, which, unbeknownst to the victims, were for the India-based scam call centers. Once connected, the scammers used scripted lies and psychological manipulation to gain the victims’ trust and often remote access to their computers. The most common scheme involved convincing victims they had received a mistaken refund and pressuring—or threatening—them to return the supposed excess funds via wire transfer, cash, or gift cards.

Victims sending cash were instructed to use overnight or express couriers, addressing packages to fake names tied to false IDs. These were sent to short-term rentals in the U.S. used by conspirators, including the indicted defendants, to collect the fraud proceeds.

Notably, YouTuber Pierogi from “Scammer Payback”— which is known for exposing scammers—played a crucial role in documenting key evidence.  In a series of videos, Pierogi from Scammer Payback teamed up with two other YouTubers from “Trilogy Media” to publish videos on their respective YouTube channels.

In coordinated sting operations, Scammer Payback and Trilogy Media baited fraudsters, confronted them on camera, and published those videos to their respective YouTube channels. Videos posted in 2020 and 2021 helped law enforcement identify Zhiyi Zhang, Dudu Chen and Huajian Chen. All three are named in the indictments.  The videos also helped shed light on how the conspiracy operated and led to the identification of high-level members of the organization.   

For example, Zhiyi Zhang, alleged to be a member of the conspiracy, used short-term rentals under the alias “Cream Pablo” and the fake name “Hans Bum” to receive victim packages. He and others were paid per package and frequently moved locations to evade law enforcement. Zhang alone is linked to at least $1.8 million in losses, according to the government’s memo arguing that Zhang should be detained.

That memo says that the YouTubers Scammer Payback (Pierogi) and Trilogy Media were conducting a sting to expose scammers by posing as victims. During one such operation, Pierogi was told by scammers to send a package of cash to an individual named “Hans Bum” at an address in South San Francisco.

Trilogy Media followed up by physically delivering a decoy package to the address and confronted the person receiving it, who turned out to be Zhiyi Zhang. Zhang revealed his real identity during the confrontation and admitted on camera to receiving packages for money—essentially outing his role in the scheme. The YouTubers passed the footage to law enforcement, who then verified Zhang’s identity using unblurred video, rental records, and other investigative efforts.

Zhang was arrested by federal agents on August 19, 2025, at Los Angeles International Airport.

“Not all heroes wear capes. Some have YouTube channels,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “Our office will continue to be on the cutting edge of law enforcement techniques to ensure justice for vulnerable victims who have been defrauded by Chinese organized crime.”

“This investigation dismantled a predatory criminal organization that carried out a complex fraud scheme, manipulated victims throughout the country, and cost victims their hard-earned life savings” said Shawn Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego. “HSI, the United States Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners diligently pursued this organization to bring them to justice and help the victims that were impacted.  HSI is dedicated to protecting our communities and the people of the United States from organizations that prey on the vulnerable for financial gain.”

“This alleged Chinese organized crime ring laundered money for fraudulent Indian call centers who targeted our nation’s elderly citizens,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher of the IRS Criminal Investigation Los Angeles Field Office. “These arrest and seizure warrants demonstrate that IRS-CI is committed to protecting our most vulnerable citizens, while also taking the profit out of crime.”

Episode 1 –

Scammer Payback: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrLZbc-Rfbo

Trilogy Media:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=in_Y5q_-F2Y

Episode 2 –

Scammer Payback:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IEgFgO5pKo

Trilogy Media:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBZFmIKJINA

Episode 3 –

Scammer Payback: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQuya3ELKGQ

Trilogy Media:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCRoxVMmtDw

This multi-year fraud and money laundering investigation was led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of California and Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.

A motion hearing/trial setting is scheduled in 25CR1097-TWR for August 29, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Todd W. Robinson. Motion hearing/trial setting hearings are scheduled for all other cases on September 19, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Todd W. Robinson.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Mokhtari.

DEFENDANTS                                           

Case Number 25-cr-1097-TWR

Hua Wang                                                       Age: 48                                    Flushing, NY

Weining Su, aka “Ning Ma”                           Age: 27                                    Flushing, NY

Case Number 25-cr-1762-TWR

Hongsen Cao                                                   Age: 24                                    Los Angeles, CA

Case Number 25-cr-1765-TWR

Xiao Lei Xu, aka “Xiaolei Xu”                       Age: 39                                    Flushing, NY

Wen Chang Wang,                                          Age: 26                                    Detroit, MI

Jiawen Cai, aka “Johnny Cai”                         Age: 28                                    Flushing, NY

Xinyu Shao                                                      Age: 27                                    Flushing, NY

Zhuhan Yin, aka “Iron Yin”                            Age: 30                                    Flushing, NY

[Redacted]

Ziyue Zhao, aka “Chris Zhao”                        Age: 30                                    Flushing, NY

Guangli Lin                                                     Age: 30                                    Flushing, NY

Wenzhi Chen                                                   Age: 23                                    Austin, TX

[Redacted]                                                                                                      

Jiaxin Wang                                                    Age: 24                                    Flushing, NY

[Redacted]

Haotian Zhang, aka “Kevin Z”                       Age: 28                                    Flushing, NY

Dudu Chen, aka “Norris Chen”                      Age: 31                                    In Custody

Yuhui Sun, aka “Ian Sun”                               Age: 27                                    Flushing, NY

Jiaxin Jiang, aka “YiYi”                                 Age: 26                                    In Custody

Dexiao Lin, aka “Prozac”                               Age: 27                                    Flushing, NY

Zhiyi Zhang, aka “Cream Pablo”                    Age: 29                                    Los Angeles, CA

Zhiwei Chen                                                    Age: 30                                    Levittown, NY

Bing Shen                                                        Age: 41                                    Flushing, NY

Zetian Zhang                                                   Age: 29                                    Flushing, NY

Huajian Chen, aka “Marco Chen”                  Age: 24                                    Austin, TX

Chongchong Li                                                Age: 29                                    Los Angeles, CA

Jianhao Gao, aka “Gh Ghao”                          Age: 31                                    Flushing, NY

Case Number 25-cr-2208-TW

Cheng Li                                                          Age: 28                                    In Custody

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Count 1 – Conspiracy to Commit Mail and Wire Fraud - Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 1349, 2326

Maximum penalty: Forty years in prison; a maximum $1 million fine

Count 2 – Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(h)

Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison; a maximum $500,000 fine or twice the amount of monetary instruments involved in the offense, whichever is greatest

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Homeland Security Investigations

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation

New York City Police Department

San Diego County Sheriff’s Department

San Diego Law Enforcement Coordination Center

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department (SBSD)

San Diego County District Attorney’s Office

Mountain View (CA) Police Department

Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FLDE)

Alachua County (FL) Sheriff’s Department

Los Angeles Interagency Metropolitan Police Apprehension Crime Task Force (LA IMPACT)

Irvine (CA) Police Department

La Verne (CA) Police Department

Mesa (AZ) Police Department

Sarpy County (NE) Sheriff’s Department

U.S. Postal Inspection Service

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 103 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).

In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.

A sample of border-related arrests this week:

• On August 16, Yasmin Cruz, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Attempted Transportation of Illegal Aliens. According to a complaint, Cruz posed as the mother of two children, ages 12 and 10, while attempting to enter the United States at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. Customs and Border Protection officers determined that the woman was not the mother of the children, and that she used birth certificates that did not belong to the children.
• On August 19, Christin Arnulfo Cruz Yepez, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Deported Alien Found in the United States. According to a complaint, the defendant was intercepted by Border Patrol agents walking two miles west of the Tecate, California, Port of Entry and approximately one mile north of the United States/Mexico International Border. The defendant was previously deported to Mexico on July 24, 2025, through San Diego.
• On August 20, Arturo Gonzalez Aguilar, a Mexican citizen who told Customs and Border Protection officers he is a Tijuana police officer, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, the officer found 87 pounds of cocaine concealed in his vehicle when he attempted to cross the border at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.

Also recently, a number of defendants with criminal records were convicted by a jury or sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here are a few of those cases:

• On August 20, Jesus Horacio Soto-Leyva, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of felony Possession of a Dangerous Weapon by a Restricted Person in February 2016 and Illegal Reentry in January 2018, was sentenced in federal court to 12 months and 1 day in custody for again entering the U.S illegally.
• On August 22, Efren Espinoza-Garcia, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of Distribution of Methamphetamine in 2019, was sentenced in federal court to 12 months and one day in custody for again entering the U.S illegally

The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.

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 DIEGO – Eric Jin of San Diego was sentenced in federal court today to 262 months in prison for sexually exploiting a 14-year-old girl by directing her to produce child sex abuse material.

Jin was indicted on May 15, 2024, and pleaded guilty in October 2024, admitting he ordered the young victim to take sexually graphic pictures of herself without clothing in December 2022 and again in February 2023. The girl did as Jin directed.

Also in February 2023, Jin ordered the victim to carve his first name, “Eric,” into her skin and send him a photo. The victim again did as Jin directed. Jin knew the victim was 14 years old.

Jin also admitted in his plea agreement that he possessed and sent pictures to the girl via his cell phone of other minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

At today’s hearing, U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta told the defendant that his “truly hurtful and evil actions on young children …defies adequate description.”

“Mr. Jin managed to exploit a vulnerable child despite the parents’ diligent efforts to protect her,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “This office will do everything legally possible to achieve justice for children and hold predators like the defendant accountable.”

“Today’s sentence demonstrates the seriousness with which the FBI takes crimes-against-children investigations,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Dargis of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “Jin coerced heinous activity from an innocent 14-year-old girl, unconscionable demands no child should ever have to endure. The FBI will continue to do everything within our authorities to hold accountable those who sexually exploit children, vigorously investigating such actions to protect the most vulnerable in our community.”

According to the FBI, the most important advice for parents is to have open and ongoing conversations about safe and appropriate online behavior. Educate yourself about the websites, software, games, and apps that your children use. Immediately report any inappropriate contact between an adult and your child to law enforcement or your local FBI field office. You can also call the FBI at 1-800-CALL FBI (800-225-5324) or submit a report online at tips.fbi.gov.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Sherwood and Katie Grammenidis.

DEFENDANT                                   Case Number 24cr1071-JO                                     

Eric Jin                                                Age: 31                                   San Diego, CA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Sexual Exploitation of a Minor – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2251(a) and (e)

Maximum penalty: Thirty years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a $500,000 fine

INVESTIGATING AGENCY

Federal Bureau of Investigation

SAN DIEGO – Jiaci Liu, a Chinese national, was sentenced in federal court today to 24 months in prison for engaging in a multinational fraud conspiracy targeting seniors, including a 63-year-old man from Poway who exposed the scam by reporting his suspicions to authorities.

Today’s sentence is in addition to three months Liu already served in state custody before his case was charged federally. Liu was originally arrested in February 2024 and charged by the San Diego District Attorney’s Office. He was transferred to federal custody in May 2024, when he was charged by federal criminal complaint for his role in the conspiracy. Crimes are sometimes transferred from state to federal prosecutors because federal law allows for the prosecution of offenses that involve victims beyond the state’s jurisdiction.

According to publicly filed documents, the San Diego Elder Justice Task Force (ETJF) learned of the fraud scheme after the victim reported to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department that he had been duped as part of a complex scam in which conspirators posed as technical support specialists, bank representatives and government officials.

Specifically, while the Poway victim was on his personal computer, a pop-up window appeared indicating there was a possible virus on his computer and instructing him to contact a phone number. When he contacted the number, he was transferred through a series of co-conspirators pretending to work in tech support. The victim was informed that his computer had viruses and was transferred to another conspirator who claimed to be from the victim’s bank. During that interaction, the victim was told there were unauthorized transfers from his bank and was instructed to immediately withdraw all his money for safekeeping.

The victim went to his bank and withdrew $28,000. The victim was then told by the conspirators that someone from the U.S. Marshals Service would come to his house to pick up the money. After the interaction, the victim became suspicious and contacted the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, which informed the victim to contact them if anyone showed up to pick up the money.

Defendant Jiaci Liu arrived at the victim’s residence attempting to take the victim’s money. The victim called police, who arrived and found Liu outside the victim’s home. After Liu was arrested, his cellphone was seized and searched.  Investigators located evidence that in just one week of the conspiracy, in June 2023, Liu had traveled throughout Southern California and Arizona and personally taken over $202,000 directly from elderly victims. The victims were from mid- to late-70s, but with one victim 83-years-old.

As the government argued in its sentencing papers, each of the victims had worked a lifetime to save money for a dignified retirement. But because of Liu and his co-conspirators, they lost substantial sums of money, including at least one victim who had suffered significant financial hardship.

In imposing Liu’s sentence, U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta found that the scheme involved “sophisticated means” and caused substantial financial hardship to the elderly victims. Judge Ohta also highlighted that the in-person pickups from elderly victims was particularly concerning because it had the potential for physical injury or an altercation between the defendant and the elderly victims.

“Scamming the elderly is a reprehensible crime that robs individuals of their hard-earned savings and the dignity they deserve in their golden years,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “There’s a cruelty in being willing to con your way to a victim’s door, look your victim in the eye, and physically take their life savings from them. This office will not tolerate deceitful and cruel criminals exploiting seniors.”

“Thanks to the courage of one potential victim alerting law enforcement, today’s sentencing ensures that Liu will be held accountable for his actions in a multinational tech support scam,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Dargis of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office. “This case demonstrates the effectiveness of the San Diego Elder Justice Task Force through its collaborative partnerships in protecting our most vulnerable communities. The FBI is proud to play a role in that mission.”

This case was investigated by the San Diego Elder Justice Task Force and its member agencies, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, Carlsbad Police Department, San Diego Police Department, and the California Highway Patrol.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available through the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). You can also report fraud to any local law enforcement agency or on the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Mokhtari.

DEFENDANT                                               Case Number 24cr1238-JO                         

Jiaci Liu                                  Age: 35                                   China

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1349

Criminal Forfeiture – Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 981(a)(1)(C), 982(a)(2)(A), and Title 28, U.S.C., Section 2461(c)

Maximum Penalties: Thirty years in prison; $1 million fine

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Federal Bureau of Investigation

San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
San Diego County Sheriff’s Department

San Diego Police Department

San Diego Elder Justice Task Force

Yesterday, on Aug. 20, a federal jury convicted Jinchao Wei, also known as Patrick Wei, of espionage and export violations. Wei was an active-duty U.S. Navy sailor stationed at Naval Base San Diego when he agreed to sell Navy secrets to a Chinese intelligence officer for $12,000.

Following a five-day trial and one day of deliberation, the jury convicted Wei of six counts, including conspiracy to commit espionage, espionage, and unlawful export of, and conspiracy to export, technical data related to defense articles in violation of the Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Wei is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 1.

“The defendant, who took an oath to protect our Nation and was entrusted with a security clearance as a petty officer in the United States Navy, sold out his country for $12,000,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “He violated his oath, betrayed his uniform and fellow sailors, and turned his back on his adopted nation for money. This verdict serves as a warning to those who do not take seriously the solemn obligations of their positions of trust or their duty to this Nation. Do not be tempted by easy money because you will be prosecuted and sent to prison.”

“The defendant’s actions represent an egregious betrayal of the trust placed in him as a member of the U.S. military,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California. “By trading military secrets to the People’s Republic of China for cash, he jeopardized not only the lives of his fellow sailors but also the security of the entire nation and our allies. The jury’s verdict serves as a crucial reminder that the Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute traitors.”

“Jinchao Wei swore oaths to become a U.S. Navy sailor and a U.S. citizen. He then committed espionage by sending photographs and videos of U.S. Navy vessels, ship movement information, technical manuals, and weapons capabilities to a Chinese intelligence officer,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “China continues to aggressively target U.S. military members with and without clearances. This guilty verdict shows the FBI and our partners will aggressively investigate and hold accountable anyone who threatens U.S. national security. We encourage past and present U.S. government personnel to beware of anyone offering to pay for their information or opinions and to report any suspicious contacts to the FBI.”

According to evidence presented at trial, Wei was a machinist’s mate for the amphibious assault ship U.S.S. Essex. He also held a U.S. security clearance and had access to sensitive national defense information about the ship’s various systems.

The evidence introduced at trial showed that Wei was approached in February 2022 via social media by someone who claimed to be a naval enthusiast. The individual was in reality a Chinese intelligence officer. Between February 2022 and his arrest in August 2023, as their relationship developed, Wei, at the request of the officer, sent extensive information about the Essex, including photographs, videos, and about its weapons. He also sent detailed information about other U.S. Navy ships that he took from restricted U.S. Navy computer systems. In exchange for this information, the intelligence officer paid Wei more than $12,000 over 18 months.

During the trial, the government presented evidence including conversations and other messages that Wei exchanged with his Chinese handler. These communications showed the efforts they made to cover their tracks, the tasks issued by his handler, and how Wei was paid for his work.

In addition to the two espionage charges, Wei was convicted of four counts of conspiring to violate and violating the Arms Export Control Act. That law prohibits individuals from willfully exporting technical data related to a defense article without a license from the Department of State. The government presented evidence that Wei conspired with his Chinese handler to export certain technical information which required a license for export.

The FBI and NCIS investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Department of State and Transportation Security Administration.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John Parmley for the Southern District of California and Trial Attorney Adam Barry of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 85 border-related cases this week, including charges of assault on a federal officer, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).

In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.

A sample of border-related arrests this week:

• On August 8, Luanna Astiazaran, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, the defendant applied for admission to the U.S. at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. Customs and Border Protection officers found an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala hiding in the rear right quarter panel. The woman had to be extracted from the vehicle and needed medical assistance.
• On August 9, Emmanuel Ramirez Santiago, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, the defendant attempted to cross through the San Ysidro Port of Entry when a canine detection dog alerted underneath the driver’s side tailgate area of his Toyota Tacoma. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 162 packages containing 203 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in the vehicle.
• On August 10, Juan Hernandez-Diaz, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Deported Alien Found in the United States. According to a complaint, U.S. Border Patrol agents intercepted the defendant as he walked through the brush, approximately four miles east of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry and six miles north of the United Sates/Mexico International boundary. He had previously been deported in May from Brownsville, Texas.

Pursuant to the Department’s Operation Take Back America priorities, federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community.

The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.

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 DIEGO – Three fugitives transferred from Mexico facing a range of federal charges made their initial appearances today in federal court in the Southern District of California. Pablo Edwin Huerta Nuno, also known as “Flaquito,” Juan Carlos Felix Gastelum also known as “El Chavo Félix,” and Abdul Karim Conteh, were transferred on August 12th  from Mexico to the United States pursuant to Mexico’s National Security law. They were among more than two dozen wanted fugitives facing a wide array of federal and state charges arraigned today all around the country.

At today’s hearing, Huerta Nuno, Felix Gastelum, and Conteh were arraigned and entered not guilty pleas before U.S. Magistrate Judge Valerie E. Torres. Huerta Nuno’s next court appearance is scheduled for September 19th, for a motion hearing/trial setting in front of U.S. District Court Judge Ruth Bermudez Montenegro. Felix Gastelum’s next court appearance is scheduled for September 12th, for a motion hearing/trial setting in front of U.S. District Court Chief Judge Cynthia Bashant. Conteh’s next court appearance is scheduled for September 19th, for a motion hearing/trial setting in front of U.S. District Court Chief Judge Janis L. Sammartino.

Pablo Edwin Huerta Nuno, also known as “Flaquito,” is alleged to be a violent Tijuana Plaza boss who has operated with impunity during the last 15 years. Huerta-Nuno is alleged to have supplied thousands of kilograms of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine to distributors and cells located throughout San Diego and Los Angeles. In return, millions of dollars in narcotics proceeds were delivered to him and his organization via shipments of bulk cash from San Diego into Tijuana.

Juan Carlos Felix Gastelum also known as “El Chavo Félix,” is alleged to be a major Sinaloa Cartel cell leader and son-in-law to former Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. He is additionally alleged to be a principal operator of the Sinaloa Cartel’s clandestine methamphetamine manufacturing laboratories located in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Sinaloa and Durango, Mexico involved in the manufacturing and distribution of large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine from Mexico into the United States.

Abdul Karim Conteh allegedly led a human smuggling organization that smuggled thousands of migrants to the United States through Mexico. These smuggled migrants originated from countries around the world, including Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Somalia, Cameroon, Senegal, Mauritania, Ethiopia, Egypt, and others. The migrants paid smuggling fees, often tens of thousands of dollars. Conteh allegedly oversaw the migrants’ unlawful entry into the United States by various surreptitious and unlawful means, including the use of ladders and tunnels.

“Those who export dangerous drugs and smuggle aliens to the United States while seeking to evade capture will find no place to hide,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “Today is a win, but justice is not satisfied. The work of the Homeland Security Task Forces ensures that the indictment of high-level targets will remain a top priority nationally, but especially, in the Southern District of California.”

“The capture of Pablo Edwin Huerta-Nuno, one of the Cartel Arellano Felix’s (CAF) most violent leaders, is a testament to the FBI’s commitment of getting violent criminals off our streets,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Dargis of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office. “Huerta-Nuno wreaked havoc for years while trafficking drugs, laundering money and engaging in unspeakable violent acts across our border. The FBI will continue to put all our resources into our mission of keeping our citizens safe.”

“Drug traffickers prey on our communities spreading violence and fear,” said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Acting Special Agent in Charge Jake Galvan. “Justice is not optional, and justice has a long reach. We will continue to pursue, arrest, and bring to justice those who profit from drug trafficking. These arrests are a step toward a safer future.”

“Cartel-driven drug trafficking poses a threat to the safety of our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego Field Office. “The capture of Pablo Edwin Huerta-Nuno is one step forward in our united effort to dismantle these criminal networks and bring those responsible to justice.”

“Mr. Huerta Nuño is accused of being a member of and a money launderer for a narcotics trafficking organization, who is hellbent on pushing deadly drugs into American households,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Los Angeles Field Office. “IRS-CI stands steadfast with our law enforcement partners to combat violent narcotics traffickers, and we will leverage our unique skillset to follow the money to disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations who bring death into American communities on a daily basis.”

“The capture of Abdul Karim Conteh is a clear example of how strong partnerships between law enforcement agencies can make our communities safer,” said Acting Chief Jeffrey Stalnaker of the U.S. Border Patrol San Diego Sector. “We will continue working together to ensure that those who break the law are held accountable”.

These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Sutton, Joshua Mellor, Robert J. Miller, and Francisco Nagel and the Conteh case is also being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Danielle Hickman of the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Sausedo contributed significantly to the cases.

DEFENDANTS                                                                                 

Pablo Edwin Huerta Nuno              Age: 33               Mexico         25cr1761-RBM

Juan Carlos Felix Gastelum            Age: 42               Mexico         22cr2262-TWR

Abdul Karim Conteh                      Age: 41               Sierra Leone         24cr1059-JLS

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Pablo Edwin Huerta Nuno             

International Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances for Purpose of Unlawful Importation, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 959, 960 and 963. Term of custody including a mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life imprisonment, $10 million fine.

Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 952, 960 and 963. Term of custody including a mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life imprisonment, $10 million fine.

Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846. Term of custody including a mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life imprisonment, $10 million fine.

Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments, in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. 1956(h). Term of custody up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the monetary instrument or funds involved.

Juan Carlos Felix Gastelum

International Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances for Purpose of Unlawful Importation, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 959, 960 and 963. Term of custody including a mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life imprisonment, $10 million fine.

Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 952, 960 and 963. Term of custody including a mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life imprisonment, $10 million fine.

Abdul Karim Conteh

Conspiracy to Bring in Aliens at a Place Other Than Designated Port of Entry - Title 8, U.S.C., Secs. 1324(a)(1)(A)(i) and (v)(I) - Term of custody including a maximum of 10 years in prison.

Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gains - Title 8, U.S.C., Sec. 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii). Term of custody includes a mandatory minimum of 3 years in prison and a maximum of 15 years in prison.

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

FBI 

DEA

HSI

IRS-CI

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

U.S. Border Patrol

U.S. Marshals Service

Office of Enforcement Operations of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division

Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs

INTERPOL

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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 Neighborhoods (PSN).

The Conteh case is a result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Colombia. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, Districts of Arizona and New Mexico and Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Office of Enforcement Operations and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 405 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers and significant facilitators of alien smuggling, more than 355 U.S. convictions, and more than 305 significant jail sentences imposed and forfeitures of substantial assets.       

SAN DIEGO – Rolando Nava PACHECO, a Mexican National, was charged in federal court today for assaulting a federal officer and damaging government property.

According to a complaint, on August 11, 2025, agents assigned to the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) conducted a joint operation to arrest an individual, suspected of immigration violations. During their operation, federal agents conducted a traffic stop on a white truck. Agents wearing visible law enforcement identifiers verbally announced themselves as federal agents and requested identification from vehicle’s driver. The driver of the white truck attempted to flee by accelerating the truck and striking a federal agent and federal government vehicle. As the white truck recklessly tried to flee the area, a federal agent driving a government vehicle attempted to block the path of the white truck. The driver of the white truck proceeded to strike the federal agent’s vehicle head on. Shortly after, the driver of the vehicle was arrested and identified as Rolando Nava Pacheco.

“Our office is committed to protecting our federal law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon, “Put plainly, those who attempt to injure or evade law enforcement will face federal charges.”

“This operation demonstrates the commitment of ERO officers to enforcing federal immigration laws and protecting public safety,” said ERO San Diego Field Office Director Patrick Divver. “Despite the challenges encountered, our officers remain dedicated to carrying out their duties with professionalism.”

DEFENDANTS                                              Case Number 25cr-MJ-04358                                

Rolando NAVA PACHECO                          Age: 19                                   Mexico

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Assault on a Federal Officer – Title 18, U.S. C., Section 111 (a)(1)

Maximum penalty: 8 years in prison; a maximum $250,000 fine

Assault on a Federal Officer resulting in bodily injury – Title 18, U.S. C., Section 111 (b)

Maximum penalty: 20 years in prison; a maximum $250,000 fine

Destruction of Government Property – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1361 (Felony)

Maximum penalty: 10 years in prison; a maximum $250,000 fine

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Homeland Security Investigations

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Otilio Rodriguez Toledo and Alicia Aispuro Hernandez, husband and wife from Thermal, California, were sentenced today for conspiring to smuggle and distribute Mexican pesticides and veterinary drugs that are not approved for use in the United States. Toledo was sentenced to five months in prison followed by 24 months of supervised release. Hernandez was sentenced to time served followed by 18 months of supervised release. Both were ordered to jointly pay $2.19 million in forfeiture.

“This case reflects our commitment to defend our southern border against those who traffic in unlawful substances that jeopardize the health and safety of Americans,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “The Justice Department will hold accountable those who violate our environmental and customs laws, and we will ensure that they do not profit from their crimes.”   

“Selling illegal pesticides and veterinary drugs endangers people, animals, and the environment,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California. “Our office will continue to prosecute those individuals who disregard the dangerous consequences of their illegal smuggling.”

“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that we will not tolerate the smuggling of unregistered pesticides. Defendants smuggled unregistered pesticides that are toxic to bees, and to humans,” said Deputy Assistant Administrator for Management Cecil Rodrigues of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Defendants deliberately put people at risk for their own profit and are now being held accountable for their egregious actions.”

“The FDA regulates animal drugs as part of its mission to protect the public health, which includes ensuring that prescription animal drugs are lawfully distributed and dispensed pursuant to a valid prescription,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Wade Moon of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Criminal Investigations, Kansas City Field Office. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who distribute prescription animal drugs unlawfully.”

“There is a reason customs laws exist particularly when pesticides and chemicals are attempting to make their way into our country to potentially wreak havoc on our environment and potentially make people seriously ill,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson for HSI San Diego. “Success of this investigation is directly attributed to the cooperation of multiple law enforcement agencies working together to ensure uncommon illegal substance don’t make their way into our nation causing irrecoverable damage.”

According to filings and evidence presented in court, since at least December 2018, Toledo and Hernandez had engaged in smuggling pesticides and veterinary drugs from Mexico into the United States and then distributing them in the United States. The pesticides involved were primarily Taktic and Bovitraz, which are not registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use in the United States. The smuggled veterinary drugs included Tetragent Aves, Metabolase, Terramicina, Cipio Vet, Baytril Max, Tylovet, Caterrol, Penicilina, and Tylosma, which are not approved by the FDA for use in the United States.

The smuggled pesticides and veterinary drugs were brought into the United States through the Calexico Port of Entry in Imperial County, California, and placed in storage units near the border. Smugglers would then send photographs of the products at the storage units as proof of delivery. These defendants would then pick up the products from the storage units and distribute them to others within the United States.

According to the EPA, the active ingredient in the pesticides Taktic and Bovitraz is amitraz, which is toxic to bees if released into hives, and then ultimately to humans when it ends up in honey, honeycomb, and beeswax. Misuse of amitraz-containing products in beehives can result in exposures that could cause neurological effects and possibly reproductive effects in humans from the consumption of contaminated honey. Signs of neurotoxicity from exposure to amitraz have been documented in multiple animal species and include central nervous system depression, decrease in pulse rate, and hypothermia.

The EPA, FDA, and HSI investigated the case.

Assistant Section Chief Stephen Da Ponte of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Van Demark for the Southern District of California prosecuted the case. 

SAN DIEGO – Rolando Nava PACHECO, a Mexican National, was charged in federal court today for assaulting a federal officer and damaging government property.

According to a complaint, on August 11, 2025, agents assigned to the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) conducted a joint operation to arrest an individual, suspected of immigration violations. During their operation, federal agents conducted a traffic stop on a white truck. Agents wearing visible law enforcement identifiers verbally announced themselves as federal agents and requested identification from vehicle’s driver. The driver of the white truck attempted to flee by accelerating the truck and striking a federal agent and federal government vehicle. As the white truck recklessly tried to flee the area, a federal agent driving a government vehicle attempted to block the path of the white truck. The driver of the white truck proceeded to strike the federal agent’s vehicle head on. Shortly after, the driver of the vehicle was arrested and identified as Rolando Nava Pacheco.

“Our office is committed to protecting our federal law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon, “Put plainly, those who attempt to injure or evade law enforcement will face federal charges.”

“This operation demonstrates the commitment of ERO officers to enforcing federal immigration laws and protecting public safety,” said ERO San Diego Field Office Director Patrick Divver. “Despite the challenges encountered, our officers remain dedicated to carrying out their duties with professionalism.”

DEFENDANTS                                              Case Number 25cr-MJ-04358                                

Rolando NAVA PACHECO                          Age: 19                                   Mexico

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Assault on a Federal Officer – Title 18, U.S. C., Section 111 (a)(1)

Maximum penalty: 8 years in prison; a maximum $250,000 fine

Assault on a Federal Officer resulting in bodily injury – Title 18, U.S. C., Section 111 (b)

Maximum penalty: 20 years in prison; a maximum $250,000 fine

Destruction of Government Property – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1361 (Felony)

Maximum penalty: 10 years in prison; a maximum $250,000 fine

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Homeland Security Investigations

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

SAN DIEGO – Rosa De Arcos, an alleged drug trafficker who fled to Mexico in 2018, was extradited from Mexico Friday and arraigned in federal court on a four-count indictment charging her with importation of, and conspiracy to distribute, methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine.

According to public records, De Arcos was arrested in May 2017 for concealing more than 34 pounds of fentanyl in her 2008 Jeep Wrangler. De Arcos was released on bond over the United States’ objection. Unbeknownst to De Arcos, law enforcement had previously obtained and received wiretap communications of De Arcos, and her co-defendant Maria Elena Urena Cervantes and others, discussing their drug trafficking exploits. This included the importation of methamphetamine and cocaine by Urena, aided by De Arcos, months earlier in January 2017, which was later seized by law enforcement.

Urena was arrested months later in December 2017 and was also released on bond. Both defendants made court appearances in 2017 and 2018. The case was scheduled for a jury trial on December 11, 2018, with a status hearing set for November 19, 2018. However, neither of the defendants appeared at the status hearing. Instead, both fled to Mexico. A judge issued no bail arrest warrants. The United States moved to forfeit the bonds.

On December 4, 2018, the grand jury returned the indictment against the women which included bail jumping charges. The United States sought extradition of both defendants. Following Urena’s arrest in Mexico in September 2023, she was extradited to the United States in December 2023 and pleaded guilty in July 2024, admitting to drug trafficking offenses with De Arcos. She is scheduled to be sentenced on December 15, 2025.

For two more years, law enforcement continued to search for De Arcos until April 2025 when she was arrested in Mexico. On August 8, 2025, De Arcos was extradited to the United States.

De Arcos is scheduled for a status hearing on August 25, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. before the Honorable Thomas J. Whelan.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Orabona and Shauna Prewitt. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest and extradition from Mexico.

DEFENDANT                                                Case Number 17CR1409-W                        

Rosa De Arcos                                                Age: 45                                   Jalisco, Mexico

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 841(a) and 846

Maximum penalty: Life in prison, mandatory minimum of ten years in prison, $10 million fine

Importation of Methamphetamine, and Cocaine – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 952 and 960

Maximum penalty: Life in prison, mandatory minimum of ten years in prison, $10 million fine

Importation of Fentanyl – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 952 and 960

Maximum penalty: Life in prison, mandatory minimum of ten years in prison; $10 million fine

Bail Jumping – Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 3146

Maximum Penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations

Drug Enforcement Administration

Customs and Border Protection

United States Marshal Service

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department

San Bernardino Police Department

U.S. Department of Justice’s, Office of International Affairs

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 79 border-related cases this week, including charges of assault on a federal officer, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).

In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.

A sample of border-related arrests this week:

• On August 1, Stephanie Sanchez Portillo, a United States citizen, was arrested and charged with Personation in Immigration Matters. According to a complaint, the defendant attempted to smuggle an unrelated child from Mexico into the U.S. through the San Ysidro Port of Entry pedestrian lanes using her own child’s American birth certificate.
• On August 2, Edgard Uriel Urbina Jiron, citizen of Nicaragua, was arrested and charged with Transportation of Illegal Aliens. According to a complaint, he was taken into custody by U.S. Border Patrol agents when they made a traffic stop and found that he was driving with an undocumented immigrant in his car.
• On August 2, Jose Luis Garcia Cota, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers found 191 pounds of methamphetamine and 5.5 pounds of cocaine concealed in the defendant’s car when he attempted to cross the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.
• On August 4, Jose Alejandro Valadez-Blancarte, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Attempted Entry after Deportation. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers found him hiding in the trunk of a car at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. He was previously deported in January 2025 and June 2025.

Pursuant to the Department’s Operation Take Back America priorities, federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community.

The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.

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 DIEGO – Sang Phuoc Do Le of Oceanside was charged in federal court today with defrauding investors who unwittingly funded the defendant’s gambling habit and luxury car purchases rather than supposedly-profitable Apple reseller businesses.

According to a complaint, Le told investors he owned two businesses, MobileSky and MobileSky2 (collectively, the “MobileSky Companies”), that purchased bulk supplies of Apple iPhones and sold them overseas for profit. However, the MobileSky Companies conducted no such business. Rather, Le used the “MobileSky” business name, which belonged to a person he knew in Northern California, to further his investment scheme.

Le, also known as “Andy Le,” was arrested July 23, 2025, after the FBI learned Le had returned to Oceanside from a recent casino stay in Arizona. He was charged via complaint and then indictment by a federal grand jury. He was arraigned today on five counts of wire and mail fraud. According to charging documents, it was a Ponzi-like scheme in which some investors were paid small returns from the investments of others; but many never received any of their promised profit or their original investment back.

The indictment alleges that Le convinced his victims to invest by making false representations, including that the MobileSky Companies operated an overseas iPhone business in foreign countries such as China; that he held a legitimate Apple Reseller Agreement to purchase and sell iPhones overseas; that investor money would be used to fund wholesale purchase orders of Apple products, including iPhones; and that the MobileSky Companies had substantial purchase orders for large quantities of cell phones.

The indictment further alleges that Le provided investors with falsified receipts—purportedly from Apple for iPhone purchases—to create the appearance of legitimate business activity by the MobileSky Companies. For example, he allegedly assured investors of the MobileSky Companies’ ongoing viability by falsely claiming there was an outstanding purchase order from Apple for iPhones worth more than $1 million.

Instead of using investor funds for the MobileSky Companies, the indictment contends that Le diverted the money for his own personal use, spending it on gambling, luxury cars, and luxury items. He also used the money to make Ponzi-like payments to other investors. As a result of his investment fraud, Le induced investors to part with more than $2 million by wiring and mailing him the funds.

The complaint said FBI agents obtained numerous records from casinos in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Florida, showing that Le deposited large sums of cash and, in some cases, had investors wire funds directly to such casinos, and then Le used these funds to gamble—not to purchase bulk supplies of iPhones.

Le received various wire transfers from investors throughout the scheme, including one for $792,500. Le made a series of money transfers, but he did not use these funds to purchase iPhones as he told his investors he would. Rather, he withdrew $300,000 in cash and transferred approximately $398,000 to several car companies – West Coast Exotic Cars and Fusion Luxury Motors. Based upon witness statements and business records, Le purchased luxury vehicles, including a green Lamborghini, as shown below.

Le repeatedly made excuses to investors on why he could not pay them the interest promised. At the same time, Le was pitching his “MobileSky” investment program to other potential investors. Le told them they could invest in MobileSky and receive a fixed-rate monthly return, such as 17 percent, on their principal. Le continued to pursue investors, taking some out for lavish dinners and at least one complimentary trip to Las Vegas. After witnessing Le spend lavishly and gamble extravagantly in the casinos in Las Vegas, some potential investors felt confident to invest in MobileSky.

According to witness statements, Le claimed he used casinos like banks to explain to investors why he asked them, at times, to wire money to him at the casinos, which some investors did. However, casino records show significant gambling losses by Le at various casinos in California, Arizona, and Nevada. At the arraignment today, Le entered a plea of not guilty to all the charges in the indictment.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Jill Burkhardt scheduled a motion hearing/trial setting for September 19, 2025, at 11 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Dana M. Sabraw. Le has been ordered detained without bail at this time.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Orabona and Ashley Goff.

DEFENDANT                                                Case Number: 25CR3037-DMS                             

Sang Phuoc Do Le, aka “Andy Le”                Age: 39                                   Oceanside, CA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1343

Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison, $250,000 fine, and mandatory restitution to victims.

Mail Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1341

Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison, $250,000 fine, and mandatory restitution to victims.

INVESTIGATING AGENCY

Federal Bureau of Investigation

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Anyone with information about allegations of investment fraud committed by Sang Phuoc Do Le, aka “Andy Le”, or others, can report it by calling the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s San Diego Field Office at (858) 320-1800; calling the FBI’s National Complaint Hotline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324); or submitting a tip about a federal crime, including fraud, at tips.fbi.gov. 

SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 91 border-related cases this week, including charges of assault on a federal officer, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).

In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.

A sample of border-related arrests this week:

• On July 28, Martin ALFARO Arambula, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, ALFARO was attempting to enter the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry when he was intercepted by Customs and Border Patrol agents with 221.18 kgs (487.62 lbs.) of cocaine.
• On July 29, Luis Antonio CARCAMO and Isabel VERA-Cortes were arrested and charged with bringing in and harboring certain aliens. According to a complaint, U.S. Border Patrol Agents were conducting a pro-active patrol of Interstate 5, when they observed a suspicious vehicle. Following a traffic stop on the suspicious vehicle, U.S. Border Patrol Agents conducted an immigration inspection on the driver and passengers of the vehicle later identified as CARCAMO and VERA, who identified themselves as United States Citizens. After U.S. Border Patrol Agents learned that the third occupant of the vehicle was a citizen of Mexico without immigration documents, Border Patrol Agents placed CARCAMO and VERA under arrest for alien smuggling.

Also recently, a number of defendants with criminal records were convicted by a jury or sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here are a few of those cases:

• On July 29, Abner Leon-Mote, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of felony Assault with a Deadly Weapon in April 2018, was sentenced in federal court to 30 months in custody for again entering the U.S. illegally.
• On July 29, Juan Carlos Luna Valenzuela, a Mexican national who was convicted of illegal entry and deported in 2024, was sentenced in federal court to 67 days’ in custody for again entering the U.S illegally.  He was also sentenced to an additional, consecutive 30 days’ custody for violating probation in his prior illegal entry case.
• On July 31, Gustavo Sanchez Meneses, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of felony sexual abuse of a child for which he served 12 years in state custody and was deported in 2022, was sentenced in federal court to 15 months in custody for entering the U.S illegally.
• On August 1, Antonio Reyes-Camacho, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of a felony in 2023 and twice removed from the U.S., was sentenced in federal court to time served for being found unlawfully in the U.S.
• On August 1, Noe Dario Lopez Saavedra, a Mexican national who worked as a ministerial officer at the Attorney General’s Office in Mexico, was sentenced in federal court to 21 months in custody for participating in an international conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
• On August 1, Sabino Valderas-Largo, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of five DUI offenses, including a felony DUI, was sentenced in federal court to 30 months in custody, followed by 3 years of supervised release for again entering the U.S illegally.
• On August 1, Ricardo Barajas-Beltran, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of Trafficking in Cocaine, Trafficking in Methamphetamine, Trafficking in Illegal Drugs, Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute, Possession of Marijuana more than One Ounce, and Possession of Sawed-Off Shotgun, Sawed-Off Rifle, Machine Gun, Dangerous Weapon, or Silencer in 2019, was sentenced in federal court to 30 months in custody, followed by 2 years of supervised release for again entering the U.S illegally.

Pursuant to the Department’s Operation Take Back America priorities, federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community.

The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.

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 DIEGO – U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers Jesse Clark Garcia and Diego Bonillo have pleaded guilty to conspiring with members of a Mexican-based poly drug trafficking organization (DTO) to allow drug laden vehicles to enter the United States free from inspection. As part of the scheme, Garcia, working at the Tecate, California Port of Entry, and Bonillo, working at the Otay Mesa, California Port of Entry, would let members of the DTO know what time and lane they were assigned by utilizing a secret emoji-based code. The DTO would then send the drug-laden cars through Garcia and Bonillo’s lanes knowing that Garcia, nor Bonillo, would inspect these vehicles.

Garcia pleaded guilty on July 8, 2025, to nine counts of the indictment, including Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances and Importation of Cocaine, Methamphetamine, and Fentanyl. Bonillo pleaded guilty on July 28, 2025, just before his jury trial was set to begin. He pleaded guilty to three counts of the indictment, including Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances, and Importation of Fentanyl and Heroin.

Bonillo admitted that as part of the conspiracy he allowed at least 75 kilograms of fentanyl, 4.5 kilogram of methamphetamine, and over 1 kilogram of heroin, into the United States. The United States has alleged that both defendants profited handsomely, funding both domestic and international trips as well as purchases of luxury items and attempts to purchase real estate in Mexico.

Garcia and Bonillo’s sentencings are scheduled for September 26, 2025, and November 7, 2025, respectively. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Van Demark, Bianca Calderon-Peñaloza, and Shauna Prewitt.

DEFENDANTS                                  Case Number 24cr0908-RBM                                            

Jesse Clark Garcia                              Age: 37                       San Diego, California

Diego Bonillo                                     Age: 30                       Chula Vista, Mexico

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances – Title 21, United States Code, Sections 952, 960, and 963

Maximum Penalty: Life in prison with a 10-year mandatory minimum

Importation of Controlled Substances - Title 21, United States Code, Sections 952 and 960

Maximum Penalty: Life in prison with a 10-year mandatory minimum

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Professional Responsibility

U.S. Border Patrol 

Homeland Security Investigations 

Drug Enforcement Administration