Southern District of Texas

HOUSTON – A 21-year-old Houston man has been sentenced for his role in multiple gunpoint robberies, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Danial Starr pleaded guilty March 20 to two counts of aiding and abetting robbery and two counts of aiding and abetting the brandishing of a firearm during the commission of the crimes.

U.S. District Judge David Hittner has now ordered Starr to a 70-month-term of imprisonment for his involvement in a series of robberies. He also received 168 months for the firearms charges, which must be served consecutively to the other sentence imposed. The total 238-month prison term will be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. The court also imposed $1,960 in restitution to the victims for all the money he and his accomplices stole.

“Hard-working, law-abiding people should be able to go about their day without having their lives threatened in armed robberies,” said Ganjei. “This sentence was richly deserved. A difficult childhood is not an excuse for committing crime-plenty of people with similar upbringings manage to lead productive lives and not stick guns in other people’s faces. If you are thinking about committing robbery in the Southern District of Texas, you’d better think twice.”

At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence describing Starr’s challenging upbringing as an orphan in the foster care system. Despite this background, the court emphasized that the victims had experienced significant trauma during the robberies and would carry those memories with them. 

On Jan. 27, 2024, Starr robbed three Houston-area smoke shops and a liquor store along with three other men, former high school classmates and peers. Calvin Deshazo and others distracted store employees by pretending to be customers, Starr entered the stores wearing a mask and brandishing a firearm, demanding cash.

Approximately two days later, Starr targeted the Spring Smoke Shop on Veteran’s Memorial Drive, one of the same locations he had robbed earlier. Patrick Norman acted as a lookout while Starr once again threatened an employee with a firearm, swiftly stealing cash and smoke products. 

Deshazo, 19, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the robberies and was ordered to serve a total sentence of 112 months in federal prison July 11. 

Norman, 20, was convicted after a three-day trial by jury of aiding and abetting the smoke shop robbery on Jan. 29, 2024, and sentenced to 33 months in federal prison July 24.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Harris County Sheriff’s Office and Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the joint investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Francisco J. Rodriguez and Anh-Khoa Tran prosecuted the case.

McALLEN, Texas – A 30-year-old Lumberton resident is set for a detention hearing following his arrest for kidnapping two minor children and taking them to Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Authorities have taken Luis Angel Rodriguez into custody. He made his initial appearance and is set for a detention hearing Sept. 19 at 1 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott Hacker. 

Carolina Rodriguez is also charged and remains in custody. Law enforcement arrested her in June.

The indictment, returned in August, alleges that on or about Sept. 1, 2024, Carolina and Luis Angel Rodriguez kidnapped two children, both under the age of 16, and took them to Mexico.

Authorities also located the children and have reunited them with their guardians.  

If convicted, Luis and Carolina Rodriguez face up to three years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. 

FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Legat Mexico City, Monterrey Sub-office and San Juan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexa D. Parcell is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

HOUSTON – A 38-year-old Mexican national who unlawfully resided in Houston has been ordered to federal prison for illegally reentering the country for the sixth time, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Bartolo Saucedo-Patino pleaded guilty June 11.

U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen has now ordered Saucedo-Patino to serve a total of 45 months in federal prison – 32 months for this offense plus an additional 13 months for violating his supervised release for his prior conviction for illegal reentry. In handing down the sentence, the court considered the dangerousness of his other crimes, lack of respect for the law and need for deterrence. Not a U.S. citizen, he is again expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.

Saucedo-Patino has multiple felony convictions to include assault of a family member, assault for intentionally or recklessly impeding breathing or circulation, failure to stop and provide information, possession of marijuana, two for possession of cocaine as well as another conviction for illegal reentry into the country.

He was first removed in September 2007, repeatedly returned unlawfully and removed eight times. Authorities encountered him again May 27, 2024, in Houston.

He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Immigration Customs Enforcement – Enforcement Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Law prosecuted the case.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 34-year-old man from Puebla, Mexico, has been ordered to federal prison for illegally reentering the United States after removal, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Fidel Ramirez-Mancilla pleaded guilty June 27. 

U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has now ordered Ramirez-Mancilla to serve 15 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. 

“Operation Take Back America means not only preventing criminals like Mr. Ramirez-Mancilla from ever entering our country, but also finding, arresting, and removing those predators that have slipped into our country in previous years,” said Ganjei. “Thanks to the efforts of our law enforcement partners, we now have one less dangerous sex offender walking American streets.”

According to court records, Ramirez-Mancilla has a conviction for the aggravated felony of assault with the intent to commit mayhem, rape, sodomy or oral copulation. He was previously removed from the United States in December 2011 with no permission to return. However, authorities encountered him again May 19 north of the Rio Grande. 

He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. 

Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel Castro prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 28-year-old Corpus Christi resident has been ordered to federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

The court found documented Tango Blast gang member Kristian Ariel Garcia guilty as charged following a one-day bench trial Feb. 18.

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Garcia to serve 70 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court considered the circumstances of his arrest and noted Garcia’s violent criminal history to include murder, burglary of a habitation, kidnapping and aggravated assault.

At the hearing, the court also heard additional evidence that Garcia had victimized his girlfriend after breaking into her house, kidnapping her and her 18-month-old daughter and holding them captive. Evidence showed he had drugged the baby to keep her quiet during the ordeal. Judge Ramos also considered the fact that Garcia has been convicted of murder after stabbing a woman to death.

“Violent felons like Mr. Garcia have no business possessing firearms,” Ganjei said. “This sentence sends a strong message to other felons—handle a firearm and we will hand you a prison term.”

On Jan. 9, 2021, authorities conducted a traffic stop because Garcia was driving without headlights. Before stopping, Garcia handed the gun to his then girlfriend and instructed her to hide it.

As law enforcement recovered the weapon, they discovered blood and organic matter on the slide. The investigation revealed that less than 24 hours earlier, Garcia had used the firearm to assault a man while stealing his cellphone.

At trial, the court heard that Garcia had previous felonies at the time he had the firearm. As such, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition per federal law.

He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Corpus Christi Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara J. De Peña prosecuted the case.

HOUSTON – A 39-year-old Mexican national with a felony criminal history has been sentenced for illegally reentering the country without authorization following a felony theft conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Manuel Albert Aragon-Hernandez pleaded guilty July 1.

U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now ordered Aragon-Hernandez to serve 44 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is again expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard evidence that after unlawfully reentering the United States, Aragon-Hernandez had fired a weapon while intoxicated. Authorities also found him in possession of narcotics. In handing down the sentence, the court took into consideration that Aragon-Hernandez has been in custody for narcotics offenses since 2023. 

“If you illegally reenter the United States after being removed or deported, you are going be imprisoned and then sent home again,” Ganjei said. “Save yourself the trouble—and the prison time—by just staying home in the first place.”

Aragon-Hernandez has convictions for failure to identify with intent to give false information and theft from a person as well as three prior convictions for illegal entry and two for possession of a controlled substance.

He was first removed from the country Sept. 14, 2010, and returned illegally three times. While in the country after illegally reentering the last time, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a speeding vehicle he was driving and found him in possession of methamphetamine and marijuana. Immigration authorities ultimately encountered him April 2.

Aragon-Hernandez will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation along with the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Wirsing prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood. 

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment against a 19-year-old man for impeding and interfering with federal law enforcement agents in the course of their duties, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Diego Masiel Torres remains in custody following the filing of the original criminal complaint. He will remain there pending his appearance on the charges in the indictment.

On Aug. 27, authorities were conducting a consensual worksite enforcement operation in Harlingen, according to the charges. Upon their arrival, several people allegedly fled from the area.

While authorities attempted to apprehend an illegal alien, Torres allegedly attempted to physically remove a law enforcement officer from that person.

“The Southern District of Texas is committed to fully enforcing our country’s immigration laws, and anyone who tries to stop a federal agent from carrying out this mission will be held accountable before a judge and jury,” said Ganjei. “So, the message is simple. Don’t end up on the wrong end of a federal indictment – keep your hands to yourself.”

If convicted, he faces up to eight years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney L. Salazar is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

LAREDO, Texas – A 28-year-old Mexican national who illegally resided in Laredo has been charged with possession, receipt and distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Originally charged by criminal complaint Aug. 21, Alfredo Gutierrez-Cantu remains in custody pending further criminal proceedings. He is expected to make an appearance on the charges contained in the indictment in the near future before a U.S. magistrate judge in Laredo. 

According to the charges, Gutierrez-Cantu came to the attention of law enforcement upon discovery of a Google account linked to a Laredo address containing child sexual assault material (CSAM). Gutierrez-Cantu was allegedly the owner of the Google account and resided at the location. 

The charges allege he would visit group chats where weblinks directed him towards a site with approximately 500 CSAM files. 

Authorities executed a search warrant and seized several electronic devices which allegedly contained several CSAM images and videos. One video depicted three minors engaged in sexual acts which he “forgot to delete” because he was too busy, according to the charges.  

“The allegations, if true, demonstrate that the defendant is somebody who shouldn’t be in our country, and definitely shouldn’t be out walking the streets of our community,” said Ganjei. “The Southern District of Texas won’t pull any punches when it comes to border security or the investigation and apprehension of those who consume child sexual abuse materials.”

If convicted, Gutierrez-Cantu faces up to 20 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, Laredo Child Exploitation Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew P. Hakala-Finch is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page. 

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

HOUSTON – A former deportation officer has been sentenced for laundering money while working for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Christopher Washington Toral, 49, Spring, pleaded guilty Feb. 27.

U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison has now ordered Toral to serve 70 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. He must also pay a $20,000 fine. At the hearing, the court heard additional information that detailed Toral’s willingness to use his badge and gun to protect what he believed to be cartel drug money.

“Federal officers are imbued with tremendous power, and with that power comes a great responsibility to uphold the people’s trust. When those same officers choose to engage in corrupt acts, they not only break the law, they strike at the heart of public confidence in our system of government,” said Ganjei. “In choosing personal gain over his duty to his fellow citizens, Toral effectively chose prison over honor.”

“When a sworn officer uses the badge to shield criminal activity, the damage extends far beyond a single crime; it strikes at the very foundation of public trust,” said FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams. “Christopher Toral decided to put personal gain over public duty. Today’s sentencing is the result of a shared commitment by FBI Houston and DHS-Office of Inspector General (OIG) to root out corruption wherever it hides.”

“Serving the public as a law enforcement officer demands the utmost integrity,” said DHS Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari Ph.D. “We, along with our partners at the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, remain resolute to ensure law enforcement officers who break the public’s trust are held accountable.”

Toral began working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2008 and was assigned to a processing center in Conroe. Over a two-month period in 2023, he used his position as a federal law enforcement officer to transport $700,000 in drug proceeds under the guise of official duties.

As part of an undercover operation, Toral agreed to transport a black bag containing $200,000 in cash from Dallas to Houston in February 2023, believing the money was from illegal narcotics sales. He made the same trip later that month delivering an additional $200,000.

In March, Toral flew from Newark, New Jersey, to Houston with $300,000 in suspected drug money, bypassing airport security and Transportation Security Administration by exploiting his law enforcement position.

Toral did all this in exchange for cash payments.

Toral was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

FBI and DHS-OIG conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carolyn Ferko and John Marck prosecuted the case.

HOUSTON – A 58-year-old registered sex offender has been ordered to federal prison for aiding and abetting the transportation of a woman across state lines to engage in prostitution and failing to comply with requirements of the Sex Offender Registration Act, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Paul Edwards Evans aka Blue Diamond pleaded guilty May 29. 

U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt has now sentenced Evans to a total of 120 months in prison. In imposing the sentence, the court considered Evans had inducted two family members into the family business which involved the trafficking of women to engage in commercial sex acts. 

The crimes took place in the Bissonnet street area of Houston and in various other cities between Texas and California including Las Vegas, Nevada.

The “blade” or “track” is an area near I-59 Southwest Freeway and Bissonnet Street in Houston where pimps and traffickers commonly place their victims to engage in commercial sex.

As a registered sex offender, he was also required to notify authorities when traveling from state to state. However, as part of his plea, he admitted that he failed to do so.  

Evans will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Wirsing prosecuted the case. 

The FBI and Houston Police Department (HPD) conducted the investigation as part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA) with the assistance of the Santa Barbara, California, Police Department. 

HTRA law enforcement includes members of HPD, FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Attorney General’s Office, IRS Criminal Investigation, Department of Labor (DOL), DOL – Wage and Hour Division, Department of State, Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission, Texas Department of Public Safety,  Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General (OIG), Social Security Administration – OIG and Sheriff’s Offices in Harris and Montgomery counties in coordination with District Attorney’s offices in Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend Counties.

Established in 2004, the United States Attorney’s office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 50-year-old Orange resident has been ordered to federal prison for possession with intent to distribute over 23 kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Pablo Garcia Ortiz pleaded guilty April 2.

U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered Ortiz to serve 36 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing Sept. 11, the court heard additional evidence that detailed how Ortiz attempted to conceal the cocaine from detection. In handing down the sentence, Judge Morales noted the great damage illegal drugs cause American society. By smuggling drugs, Ortiz made himself partially responsible for those harms.

On Nov. 1, 2024, Ortiz drove a Freightliner tractor to the Sarita Border Patrol checkpoint. A K-9 alert prompted a referral to secondary inspection. 

Ortiz delayed exiting and poured a jug of urine inside the cab in an attempt to mask the odor of narcotics. He also accused law enforcement of planting evidence.

Authorities ultimately found 22 bundles of cocaine weighing approximately 24 kilograms hidden in a blue toolbox under the bed. The drugs, concealed in a trash bag and cardboard box, tested positive for cocaine. They also found chili powder which is commonly used to disguise the smell of narcotics.

A search of Ortiz’s phone revealed evidence of a prior cocaine smuggling event in September 2024. 

Ortiz was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Izaak Bruce prosecuted the case.

HOUSTON – A 31-year-old Mexican national with a felony criminal history has been sentenced for illegally entering the country without authorization, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Luis Alfonso Murillo-Soriano pleaded guilty March 8, 2024.

U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now ordered Murillo-Soriano to serve 130 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is again expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard evidence that Murillo-Soriano had allegedly sexually assaulted another inmate and helped bring contraband into the facility while in custody. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the seriousness of Murillo-Soriano’s three drug convictions and expressed concern over his commission of another serious offense after illegally re-entering the United States.

Murillo-Soriano has multiple felony drug convictions involving heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine as well as driving while intoxicated. He was first removed in 2018 and returned unlawfully two other times.

Authorities discovered him after he was apprehended in December 2019 for his involvement in distributing four kilograms of heroin. Murillo-Soriano had just been deported at the end of October 2019. Further, he returned illegally to the United States while on supervised release for a previous serious drug trafficking charge.

He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation along with the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Lu is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

HOUSTON - A Missouri City couple have admitted to their roles in orchestrating a fraudulent financing and refinancing mortgage loan scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Noreen Khan aka Noreen Khan-Mayberry, 52, and her husband Christopher Mayberry, 53, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy for making false statements to loan businesses in relation to several mortgage loans they financed. Khan had been a technical manager for NASA, while a NASA contractor had employed Mayberry.

Beginning in 2016, Mayberry and Khan, while employed at NASA, took out significant personal loans to fund the purchase of their luxury home before quickly defaulting on them. 

The couple attempted to dispute the debts, claiming to be victims of identity theft. Khan filed a false police report, submitted a false report to the Federal Trade Commission and sent letters to credit bureaus seeking to have loans removed from her credit. 

As part of the scheme, the couple signed three separate loan agreements with mortgage lenders related to the financing of their home from 2017 to 2021. 

They also admitted to providing false employment information and fake documents, including pay stubs, tax forms and account statements, to lenders.

Khan and Mayberry face up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine in addition to the possible forfeiture of their luxury home. They must also pay restitution in the amount of $276,709 prior to sentencing, which is set for Dec. 18 before U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge.

Both were permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.

NASA’s Office of Inspector General-Office of Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Winter is prosecuting the case.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 62-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Robert Hall pleaded guilty March 3, 2022.

U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now ordered Hall to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. The court emphasized that Hall had no arguments that could alter the statutorily required sentence.

On March 16, 2019, law enforcement pulled Hall over for a traffic violation in Corpus Christi. A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered a black backpack containing approximately 54 grams of methamphetamine, a scale and unused plastic baggies. 

Hall admitted he knew the methamphetamine was in the backpack and that he was on his way to drop it off to someone else in Corpus Christi.

He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley A. Pruitt prosecuted the case.

HOUSTON – A total of 303 cases have been filed in relation to immigration and border security matters from Sept. 5-11, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Among those charged are 126 individuals who allegedly reentered the country illegally after removal. Most have felony convictions for narcotics, violent crime, sexual offenses and prior immigration crimes. Another 162 people face charges of illegally entering the country, while 14 others are allegedly involved in human smuggling. The remaining four individuals face charges that include firearms offenses and other immigration-related crimes.

Some charged with felony reentry after removal are five illegal aliens who had just been removed this summer. One is Mexican national Luis Pablo Estolano-Velasquez. The charges allege he has a prior conviction for capital murder of multiple persons, for which he was sentenced to 10 years in prison and removed in June. However, authorities allegedly found him near Pharr, illegally in the country this week.

Other criminal complaints allege Mexican nationals Adan Jaimes-Gomez and Jose Alvarado-Aguirre were removed June 23 and Aug. 21, respectively, while Honduran nationals Franklin Geovanny Escobar-Matias and Jose Mauricio Garcia-Martinez were removed July 27 and Aug. 1. Each allegedly has prior convictions, including illegal reentry, robbery or manufacturing and delivering a controlled substance.

Authorities also found in the Rio Grande Valley Mexican nationals Juan Gerardo Garcia-Torres and Juan Manuel Zamudio-Villasenor as well as Honduran national Cesar Ernesto Amendola-Hernandez with no legal permission to be in the United States, according to the complaints against them. The charges allege all have prior convictions for illegal reentry.

All face up to 20 years in prison, if convicted.  

The Southern District of Texas also indicted a 33-year-old Mexican national for illegal reentry following his second alleged DWI and a fatal crash. Law enforcement allegedly arrested Eduardo Balderas-Zuniga May 11 for a DWI in Harris County. Authorities removed him from the country, but the charges allege he illegally returned and was again arrested after allegedly driving drunk and causing the death of an innocent civilian.

In addition to the new cases, eight violent MS-13 gang members, all El Salvadorian citizens who illegally resided in Houston, pleaded guilty and face decades in prison for racketeering charges involving multiple murders and witness tampering. The men used machetes, a baseball bat and strangulation to expand the gang’s power. They also then sent photos of the victims’ bodies to MS-13 leaders in El Salvador, sometimes after mutilating or dismembering them. Under their plea agreements, three will each serve 50 years in federal prison, while the others face sentences ranging from 35-50 years.

“This case demonstrates the tremendous public safety threat that MS-13 and other criminal terrorist organizations pose to American communities,” said Ganjei. “Here, defendants carried out a series of murders - bludgeoning, butchering, and strangling their victims with sadistic glee. These are people without remorse or pity. When it comes to eradicating these gangs, the United States cannot afford to either relent or fail. As the facts of this case show, the stakes are too high.”

In Brownsville, a Mexican citizen illegally residing in the Weslaco area was sentenced to 204 months following his conviction for illegal reentry after removal, conspiracy to possess with the intent to deliver over five kilograms of cocaine and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Jorge Huerta-Garcia was indicted in March 2024 for illegal reentry after removal. During this time, law enforcement was also investigating him as part of a drug trafficking organization and linked him to an incident involving nearly 40 kilograms of cocaine. Huerta-Garcia, previously convicted in 2017 of being a felon in possession of a firearm and removed from the United States in 2022, was again arrested in March 2024 with a loaded AR-10 rifle, ammunition and firearm magazines.

Mexican national and gang member Raul Angel Serna Buentello was sentenced in Houston to 100 months for illegally reentering the country. The sentence included 24 months for violating the terms of his supervised release following a previous conviction for the same offense. At the hearing, the court heard confirmation of his status as a member of the Tango Blast gang and about other troubling behavior which contradicted defense claims about him allegedly being a loving, family man. He was removed on two occasions and has a conviction for illegal reentry but was found in the United States in 2022 after an arrest and conviction for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and evading arrest. He has a criminal history dating back to the age of 14 including multiple burglaries/thefts of vehicles, evading arrest and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Also announced this week was a 62-year-old Alamo resident who pleaded guilty to transporting two Mexican citizens hidden under blankets on the top bunk of a tractor-trailer’s sleeper cab. Authorities said Lazaro Rosendo Vega appeared abnormally loud and excited at the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint. He faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

Another case out of Corpus Christi federal court was a La Villa resident and repeat human smuggler who received 46 months in federal prison for conspiring to transport 27 illegal aliens, two of whom were minors. The court noted his prior convictions for bulk cash smuggling and the transportation of illegal aliens. He was also on supervised release when he committed the crime. Authorities found the illegal aliens lying on produce pallets in a refrigerated trailer set at approximately 50 degrees.

These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

The 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 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.

 The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.

An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 31-year-old resident of Corpus Christi has been sentenced for enticing a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Daniel Verduzco pleaded guilty May 23.

U.S. District Judge David Morales has now sentenced Verduzco to 180 months in federal prison. In handing down the prison terms, the court noted that Verduzco had met the victim while on duty as a police officer. The court considered Verduzco’s position and his pursuit of the minor female while on duty when determining his sentence. Verduzco will serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Verduzco will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. Restitution will be considered at a later date. 

On Jan. 8, authorities discovered Verduzco was having a relationship with a 15-year-old minor female dating back to May 2024. The two had exchanged more than 3,700 messages which included sexually suggestive images and detailed different times they had engaged in sexual relations and intentions for future sexual acts.

The conversations further revealed Verduzco and the minor victim had met in person on multiple occasions.

Previously released on bond, Verduzco was taken into custody following the sentencing today where he will remain pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Corpus Christi Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Overman is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.

HOUSTON - A 34-year-old Honduran national has been sentenced for unlawfully returning to the country after a prior removal, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Jose Leon Cruz-Lanza pleaded guilty April 7.

U.S. District Judge Charles R. Eskridge has now ordered Cruz-Lanza to serve 70 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is again expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.

“The defendant in this case took a bad situation and made it much, much worse,” said Ganjei. “You don’t come to this country illegally, and you don’t assault law enforcement. And you certainly don’t do both of these at the same time. Hopefully this sentence serves as a lesson to other would-be lawbreakers.”

Cruz-Lanza was first removed from the United States in 2017, but later illegally returned. He was convicted of illegal reentry and removed again. In May 2022, authorities found him in the United States again, this time in The Woodlands, after he had assaulted two members of law enforcement – a local police officer and a deputy constable.

He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant. U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Weinhold and Amanda Alum prosecuted the case.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 31-year-old Mexican citizen illegally residing in the Weslaco area has been sentenced following his conviction for illegal reentry after removal, conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver over five kilograms of cocaine and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, announced U.S. Attorney Nicolas J. Ganjei.

Jorge Huerta-Garcia pleaded guilty to the immigration and drug/firearms crimes in August 2024 and March 2025, respectively.

U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has now ordered him to serve a total of 204 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, Huerta-Garcia is again expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that described the extensive elements of the drug conspiracy which attributed 643 kilos of cocaine to Huerta-Garcia as relevant conduct. In handing down the sentence, the court noted he had serious prior convictions which included an aggravated assault and firearm possession.

A federal jury indicted Jorge Huerta-Garcia in March 2024 for illegal reentry after removal. During this time, law enforcement was also investigating him as part of a drug trafficking organization. In September 2024, he was charged with the additional possession of drug and firearms crimes.

On Nov. 28, 2023, several vehicles were traveling in tandem in Hidalgo County, including a Chevrolet Silverado truck which Huerta-Garcia was driving. Alvino Lozoya-Ramon was the passenger. They arrived at a residence in Brownsville where Juan Alberto Monroy-Villanueva was located. All three men then placed wrapped bundles from the location into the back seat of the Silverado.

Law enforcement attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but a chased ensued. After crashing through a ranch gate, Huerta-Garcia successfully fled the scene, but authorities took Loyoza-Ramon into custody. A search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of 39.46 kilograms of cocaine.

The investigation revealed Huerta-Garcia was an illegal alien from Mexico who had been previously convicted in 2017 of being a felon in possession of a firearm and removed from the United States in June 2022.

Authorities ultimately arrested him in March 2024, at which time they found a loaded AR-10 rifle and assorted rounds of ammunition and weapon magazines.

He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Loyoza-Ramon, 56, and Monroy Villanueva, 42, both Mexican citizens who illegally resided in Weslaco and Brownsville, respectively, pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to deliver cocaine and were sentenced in December 2024. Loyoza-Ramon received a 120-month sentence, while Monroy-Villanueva was ordered to serve 48 months.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Oscar Ponce prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

LAREDO, Texas – A 57-year-old Mexican national has been found guilty of conspiracy to import 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

The jury deliberated for approximately 30 minutes before convicting Jose Luis Valverde-Ramos following a two-day trial.

On June 14, Valverde-Ramos drove a Mitsubishi Outlander bearing Mexican plates to the Lincoln-Juarez International Bridge in Laredo. 

When questioned, Valverde-Ramos said he was going to Dallas to see a doctor for blood pressure treatment. Law enforcement noticed anomalies in the vehicle’s ceiling and referred him to secondary inspection. 

At trial, the jury heard that an x-ray examination revealed the vehicle had a modified, non-factory compartment in the ceiling that was electronically controlled. Authorities discovered eight tube-like packages inside the box, each wrapped in clear plastic with Taco Bell Doritos Locos packaging around them. 

The bundles field tested positive for methamphetamine which had a total weight of 51.15 kilograms.

The jury heard Valverde-Ramos asked if a GPS had been found in the vehicle, claiming someone contacted him about his arrival in Laredo, even though he had not shared his location. They also saw photos of the modified vehicle and listened to voice memos from others instructing Valverde-Ramos where and when to cross into the United States.

The defense argued Valverde-Ramos had no knowledge of the narcotics. The jury was not convinced and found him guilty as charged. 

U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo presided over the trial and set sentencing for Dec. 9. At that time, Valverde-Ramos faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison as well as a possible $10 million maximum fine. 

Valverde-Ramos will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan Oliver and Leslie Cortez prosecuted the case.

HOUSTON – A 42-year-old Houston man has been convicted on all five counts as charged in relation to several Houston-area robberies, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

The jury deliberated for less than two hours before finding Ahmed Oraby Ahmedaly guilty of attempted robbery and two counts each of robbery and discharging a firearm following a five-day trial.

During trial, the jury heard from store clerk victims, a firearm and tool mark examiner and other members of law enforcement. Testimony revealed that on Feb. 9, 2022, Ahmedaly entered a Houston-area gas station pretending to be a customer, brandished a 9mm pistol at a store clerk and demanded cash. Five days later, he robbed two more convenience stores in west Houston on the same night. In each, he again brandished the pistol and demanded money. During the Feb. 14 robberies, he also discharged the firearm inside the stores as he ordered clerks to quickly comply. 

The jury saw video surveillance capturing a blue Honda at all three robberies which showed the same man entering the stores. 

At the time of his arrest, authorities recovered the loaded 9mm pistol in his vehicle. Forensic analysis confirmed the firearm matched a recovered cartridge casing from the Feb. 14 robbery. 

The jury also heard several jail calls in which Ahmedaly discussed the firearm being used and admitted he was the man seen on store video.

The defense claimed Ahmedaly was insane at the time of the offenses and attempted to offer testimony from his friend and sister as part of that argument. However, the court heard evidence that his sister and friend had, in fact, had minimal contact with him for years prior to the offenses.

A forensic psychologist who had examined Ahmedaly found he was faking and exaggerating his psychotic symptoms. 

The jury also heard rebuttal information to explain his sane behavior and the same methods of operation he used in all three store robberies. On the stand, Ahmedaly admitted he knew what he did was wrong. 

The jury ultimately did not believe defense claims and found him guilty as charged. 

U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett presided over the trial and set sentencing for Dec. 11. At that time, Ahmedaly faces up to life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. 

He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with assistance from the Houston Police Department, Harris County Constables Office - Precinct 5 and Waller County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Rodriguez and Andrew Sand are prosecuting the case.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 35-year-old La Villa resident has been sentenced for conspiring to transport 27 illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Reynaldo Del Castillo pleaded guilty March 26. 

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Del Castillo to serve 46 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that described the dangerous conditions in which the aliens were transported. In handing down the sentence, the court noted his prior convictions for bulk cash smuggling and transportation of illegal aliens. He was also on supervised release when he committed the present crime.

“Any person who endangers lives by engaging in human smuggling deserves a serious sentence. Any person who smuggles people more than once is telling his fellow citizens that he has no regard for human life,” said Ganjei. “Here, a single technological malfunction could have cost the lives of 24 people, including two children. The Southern District of Texas is working hard to either put these smugglers out of business, or put them in prison. The choice is theirs.”

On Jan. 5, Del Castillo was driving a tractor hauling a white refrigerated trailer and approached the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint. Upon questioning, he claimed he was transporting limes. A K-9 alerted to the trailer, and authorities noted Del Castillo’s nervous behavior then referred him to secondary inspection.  

Law enforcement ultimately discovered 27 illegal aliens laying on top of produce pallets in the refrigerated trailer. The temperature was set at approximately 50 degrees. Two of the aliens were minors. 

Del Castillo will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Izaak Bruce prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood. 

GALVESTON, Texas – Eight El Salvadorian citizens who illegally resided in Houston and are members of the violent transnational criminal organization Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, have pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a racketeering conspiracy that included multiple murders and acts of witness tampering, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Walter Antonio Chicas-Garcia aka Mejia, 28, Wilson Jose Ventura-Mejia aka Discreto, 29, Miguel Angel Aguilar-Ochoa aka Darki, 40, and Marlon Miranda-Moran aka Chinki, 26, have now entered their pleas. Four others - Luis Ernesto Carbajal-Peraza, aka Destino, 33, Edgardo Martinez-Rodriguez aka Largo, 35, Carlos Alexi Garcia-Gongora aka Garcia, 27, and Wilman Rivas-Guido aka Inquieto, 29 - also pleaded guilty to the same racketeering conspiracy Aug. 11.

“This case demonstrates the tremendous public safety threat that MS-13 and other criminal terrorist organizations pose to American communities,” said Ganjei. “Here, defendants carried out a series of murders - bludgeoning, butchering, and strangling their victims with sadistic glee. These are people without remorse or pity. When it comes to eradicating these gangs, the United States cannot afford to either relent or fail. As the facts of this case show, the stakes are too high.”

“These defendants carried out brutal murders in the name of MS-13, killing victims with machetes, baseball bats and their bare hands, and then sending photos of the victims’ bodies to MS-13 leaders in El Salvador,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The defendants committed these unthinkable acts to maintain their status in a gang that spread fear in local neighborhoods and targeted those brave enough to cooperate with law enforcement. Today’s guilty pleas send a powerful message that the Justice Department will aggressively pursue and hold accountable MS-13 members who use violence and murder to terrorize our communities.”

According to court documents and statements made in court, MS-13 is a violent international street gang involved in a variety of violent criminal activities across the United States, including Texas, Virginia, Maryland, New York and California. MS-13 also has a large international presence in El Salvador and Honduras. To protect MS-13’s power, reputation and territory, members and associates must use intimidation and violence, including murder and assault with deadly weapons, such as machetes.

As part of their plea agreements, all eight admitted to being members of MS-13 and participating in a criminal enterprise responsible for multiple murders, extortion, drug trafficking, robbery and obstruction of justice in and around the Houston area from 2017 through 2018. High-ranking MS-13 leaders based in El Salvador ordered and approved of the murders, sometimes listening by phone as MS-13 members carried out the crimes.

MS-13 members participated in the murders to increase or maintain their own position within MS-13’s ranks. MS-13 targeted the murder victims because they were believed to be members of rival gangs, cooperating with law enforcement or working against MS-13’s interests. MS-13 members committed the murders using machetes, a baseball bat and strangling. After the murders, MS-13 members sent photos of the victims’ bodies to high-ranking MS-13 members in El Salvador, sometimes further mutilating or dismembering the victim’s bodies before sending the photos.

According to their plea agreements, Chicas-Garcia, Ventura-Mejia and Aguilar-Ochoa will each be sentenced to 50 years in federal prison while Miranda-Moran will receive a 35-year-term of imprisonment. Martinez-Rodriguez, Garcia-Gongora and Rivas-Guido have agreed to a term from 45-50 years, while Carbajal-Peraza is expected to receive 40-45 years of imprisonment.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown accepted the pleas and has set sentencing for November. At that time, he will consider the sentencing stipulations and impose any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

FBI; Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; police departments in Houston and Galveston as well as Prince George’s County in Maryland; sheriff’s offices in Harris and Liberty counties; Texas Department of Public Safety; University of North Texas Center for Human Identification; U.S. Marshals Service; and Texas Office of the Attorney General led or contributed to the lengthy and complex investigation of this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Keri Fuller and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Britni Verdeja are prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney César S. Rivera-Giraud from the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section.

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 Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

HOUSTON – A 28-year-old Vermont man has been ordered to federal prison after his multiple convictions related to the production of child sexual assault material (CSAM) involving a South Texas victim, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Daniel Lee Hicks pleaded guilty April 16 to two counts of production of child pornography and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor.

U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. has now sentenced Hicks to a total of 300 months in federal prison. In imposing the sentence, the court noted its responsibility to the victims and advised Hicks there are consequences for his actions. Hicks will also serve 10 years of supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Hicks will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. The court will determine and order restitution at a later date.

“The internet is a valuable tool, but unfortunately, for predators like Hicks, it can become a weapon used to target some of our most vulnerable,” Ganjei said. “To anyone who tries to use social media or other avenues to prey on our kids, it matters not where you are. We will hunt you down, arrest you, and imprison you…often for decades. To parents, stay vigilant and be aware of those that could be infiltrating your children’s devices.”

“As a parent, cases like this hit close to home knowing that dangerous predators like this are just a mouse click or phone swipe away from our children on social media,” said Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz of Homeland Security Investigations Houston. “Fortunately, working with our partners at the Montgomery County Constables Office, we were able to identify this child predator and remove him from the community for the next 25 years, but it’s never a bad time for parents to talk to their kids and educate them about the dangers on social media. Department of Homeland Security  offers plenty of useful tools and resources that can be found at https://www.dhs.gov/know2protect.”

In November 2022, authorities discovered sexually explicit conversations between Hicks and a minor female victim who was residing in the Southern District of Texas. Hicks began communicating with her since at least 2021 and knew she was under the age of 14. During the conversations, Hicks sent demeaning and threatening messages to coerce the victim to create and send videos and images depicting sexually explicit conduct. During the conversations, Hicks also sent CSAM images to her.   

Authorities identified at least two additional minor victims residing across the United States, both under the age of 16. Hicks would communicate with the children online for the explicit purpose of creating and obtaining more CSAM. Hicks exploited online social media platforms to identify and exploit the minor victims.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation as part of their Child Exploitation Investigations Group with the assistance of Montgomery County Constable’s Office – Precinct 5.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Luis Batarse prosecuted the case which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.

Eight members of the violent transnational criminal organization Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, pleaded guilty today to charges stemming from a multi-year racketeering conspiracy that included multiple murders and acts of witness tampering. The defendants—identified as Walter Antonio Chicas-Garcia, 28, aka “Mejia,” Wilson Jose Ventura-Mejia, 29, aka “Discreto,” Miguel Angel Aguilar-Ochoa, 40, aka “Darki,” and Marlon Miranda-Moran, 26, aka “Chinki,”—are all citizens of El Salvador and were unlawfully residing in Houston, Texas at the time of the offenses.

According to their plea agreements, Chicas-Garcia, Ventura-Mejia, and Aguilar-Ochoa will each be sentenced to 50 years of imprisonment while Miranda-Moran will be sentenced to 35 years of imprisonment.

“These defendants carried out brutal murders in the name of MS-13, killing victims with machetes, baseball bats, and their bare hands, and then sending photos of the victims’ bodies to MS-13 leaders in El Salvador,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The defendants committed these unthinkable acts to maintain their status in a gang that spread fear in local neighborhoods and targeted those brave enough to cooperate with law enforcement. Today’s guilty pleas send a powerful message that the Justice Department will aggressively pursue and hold accountable MS-13 members who use violence and murder to terrorize our communities.”

On August 11, four additional MS-13 members—Defendants Luis Ernesto Carbajal-Peraza, 33, aka “Destino,” Edgardo Martinez-Rodriguez, 35, aka “Largo,” Carlos Alexi Garcia-Gongora, 27, aka “Garcia,” and Wilman Rivas-Guido, 29, aka “Inquieto” —also pleaded guilty to the same racketeering conspiracy. All four are citizens of El Salvador and were residing in the Houston area. The parties stipulated to a sentencing range of 40 to 45 years of imprisonment for Carbajal-Peraza, and 45 to 50 years for Martinez-Rodriguez, Garcia-Gongora, and Rivas-Guido.

According to court documents and statements made in court, MS-13 is a violent international street gang involved in a variety of violent criminal activities across the United States, including Texas, Virginia, Maryland, New York, and California. MS-13 also has a large international presence in El Salvador and Honduras. To protect MS-13’s power, reputation, and territory, members and associates must use intimidation and violence, including murder and assault with deadly weapons, such as machetes.

As part of their plea agreement, the defendants admitted to being members of MS-13 and participating in a criminal enterprise responsible for multiple murders, extortion, drug trafficking, robbery, and obstruction of justice in and around the Houston, Texas area from 2017 through 2018. High-ranking MS-13 leaders based in El Salvador ordered and approved of the murders, sometimes listening by phone as MS-13 members carried out the murders. MS-13 members participated in the murders to increase or maintain their own position within MS-13’s ranks. MS-13 targeted the murder victims because they were believed to be members of rival gangs, cooperating with law enforcement, or working against MS-13’s interests. MS-13 members committed the murders using machetes, a baseball bat, and strangling. After the murder, MS-13 members sent photos of the victims’ bodies to high-ranking MS-13 members in El Salvador, sometimes further mutilating or dismembering the victim’s body before sending the photos.

According to their plea agreements, Chicas-Garcia, Ventura-Mejia, and Aguilar-Ochoa will each be sentenced to 50 years in federal prison while Miranda-Moran will receive a 35-year-term of imprisonment. Martinez-Rodriguez, Garcia-Gongora, and Rivas-Guido have agreed to a term from 45-50 years, while Carbajal-Peraza is expected to receive 40-45 years of imprisonment.

Sentencing hearings for all eight defendants are scheduled to take place later this year. A federal district court judge will consider the sentencing stipulations and impose any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Houston Police Department, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Galveston Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification, the United States Marshal Service, and the Texas Office of the Attorney General led or contributed to the lengthy and complex investigation of this case.

Trial Attorney César S. Rivera-Giraud from the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Keri Fuller, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Britni Verdeja for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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.
 

HOUSTON – A 35-year-old man who illegally resided in the Heights area in Houston has been ordered to federal prison for his role in a transnational drug trafficking organization, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Jack Kasjaniuk pleaded guilty May 27.

U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt has now ordered Kasjaniuk to serve 135 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that described Kasjaniuk’s role in operating a waypoint for hundreds of kilograms of cocaine coming from Mexico and South America and destined for Canada. Not a U.S. citizen, Kasjaniuk is expected to face removal proceedings following the sentence.

Kasjaniuk came to the United States for the express purpose of receiving the shipments of cocaine, repackaging them and sending them on to the drug trafficking organization in Canada. Kasjaniuk operated the cocaine distribution point in the Heights neighborhood of Houston for approximately two years.

The investigation revealed that in one three-month span alone, Kasjaniuk handled at least 620 kilograms of cocaine on behalf of the organization.

He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Alberta, Canada, Law Enforcement Response Team. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Tallichet prosecuted the case.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 62-year-old Alamo resident has admitted he illegally transported two Mexican citizens in a tractor-trailer, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Lazaro Rosendo Vega drove to the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint in a maroon tractor-trailer May 30. At primary inspection, authorities noticed him sitting unusually high in his seat and acting abnormally loud and excited. When asked what he was hauling, he claimed “avocados loaded about two hours ago.”

A subsequent x-ray scan revealed two illegal aliens hidden under blankets on the top bunk of the sleeper cab. Both were citizens of Mexico. Vega claimed he was unaware of the two men hiding just feet behind him.  

As part of his plea, Vega acknowledged one of the illegal aliens had claimed to have entered the United States about a month earlier, was led to a warehouse and later placed in Vega’s tractor-trailer. He had paid $9,000 to be smuggled into Fort Worth and was hidden inside the cab with another man for extended periods before the truck continued north.

Vega had blocked the dash camera view before picking up the aliens. 

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos accepted the plea and set sentencing for Dec. 10, at which time Vega faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

Vega was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.

Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Izaak Bruce and Patrick Overman are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

HOUSTON – A total of 352 cases have been filed charging 356 people from Aug. 29 – Sept. 4 for various immigration and related border security crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

This week’s cases include 21 people allegedly engaged in human smuggling. Charges were also filed against 194 individuals accused of illegal entry and 140 others charged with felony reentry after prior removal. Many already have felony convictions for narcotics, violent crime, immigration crimes and more. Another case filed this week involves an assault of an officer.

Also of note this week was the announcement regarding three Guatemalan nationals who had been extradited on charges stemming from a 2021 mass casualty event in Chiapas, Mexico. Attorney General Pam Bondi praised the excellent work that led to the charges in the case and noted the huge cost of human smuggling.  

The crash allegedly involved a tractor-trailer packed with at least 160 illegal aliens – many of them Guatemalan – that killed more than 50 people, including unaccompanied children, and injured over 100 more. The three smugglers – Tomas Quino Canil, Oswaldo Manuel Zavala Quino and Josefa Quino Canil De Zavala – were arrested in Guatemala last December and made their appearances in Laredo Sept. 4. If convicted they face up to life in prison for conspiracy to bring illegal aliens into the United States, placing lives in jeopardy and causing death. 

“Human smugglers do not care if the people they transport live or die,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei of the Southern District of Texas. “They do not care if unaccompanied children have food, water, or even air to breathe. They respect neither the law nor basic principles of decency. They care for only one thing—the blood money they make from the suffering of others. But these extraditions show that the United States will never tire in pursuing them. There is no border, no refuge that can shield these criminals from justice.”

As part of the new cases filed this week, law enforcement allegedly attempted to arrest a group of illegal aliens Sept. 2. The charges allege Mexican national Jesus Gabriel De Lira-Villapando rushed at and pushed a Border Patrol agent. Authorities were able to apprehend De Lira-Villapando after a short foot chase, according to the charges. He faces up to eight years in federal prison, upon conviction. 

Four more criminal complaints allege foreign nationals attempted to unlawfully reenter the country after they had already been removed just this year. Mexican nationals Pedro Sandoval and Leobardo Reyes-Gonzalez were allegedly removed less than two months ago - July 30 and Aug. 21, respectively. According to court records, Honduran nationals Ricardo Mauricio Cruz-Najera and Winston Churchill Grant-Mesen were removed May 9 and July 21, respectively. Each allegedly has prior convictions, including possession of a controlled substance, evading arrest or illegal reentry. The charges allege authorities discovered all four in the Rio Grande Valley area without legal authorization.

Another illegal alien facing charges this week is Mexican national Juan Antonio Ruiz-Gutierrez, who authorities allegedly discovered unlawfully in the United States near Penitas. According to court documents, he was previously removed April 2013 and has a prior conviction for indecency with child sexual contact.

If convicted of felony illegal reentry after removal, all five face up to 20 years in prison. 

In Brownsville, Mexican national Daniel Antonio Varcenas-Aguilar pleaded guilty to unlawfully reentering the United States without permission. Law enforcement discovered him July 12 near Brownsville after having been removed Sept. 21. According to court records, he has a previous conviction for aggravated assault of a child. He is set for sentencing in November and faces up to 20 years in prison. 

In Laredo, a 21-year-old Mexican national was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for assaulting a Border Patrol agent who was trying to assist him after illegally entering the United States. Marco Cupil-Hernandez struck the agent as he attempted to flee. The court noted he did more than push the agent aside and instead appeared to plan a fight that caused the agent’s knee and back injuries.

These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

The 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 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.  

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes. 

An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

LAREDO, Texas – A 21-year-old Mexican citizen has been ordered to federal prison for assaulting a Border Patrol agent and inflicting bodily injury, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Marco Cupil-Hernandez, an illegal alien from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, pleaded guilty April 28, admitting he struck the agent’s body and face repeatedly while attempting to flee. 

U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen has now ordered him to serve 15 months in prison. Not a U.S. citizen, Cupil-Hernandez is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. He asked for leniency, telling the court he only wanted to escape and did not intend to injure the agent. In handing down the sentence, Judge Kazen said Cupil-Hernandez did more than push the agent away and appeared to have planned to fight, which left the agent with knee and back injuries. 

On the evening of Jan. 23, Cupil-Hernandez illegally entered the United Stated by wading across the Rio Grande. Authorities immediately took him into custody. However, Cupil-Hernandez complained of injuries to his knees, and law enforcement then transported him to a local hospital for emergency care. 

Medical personnel soon cleared him for release, though he walked with a limp. As the agent attempted to assist him into a vehicle, Cupil-Hernandez forcefully pushed him away and attempted to flee. 

A struggle ensued on the concrete. Each time the agent grasped an article of Cupil-Hernandez’s clothing, he removed it. Cupil-Hernandez then elbowed the agent’s face which caused him to lose his hold, at which time Cupil-Hernandez jumped to his feet and fled wearing only his underwear and shoes. 

Authorities took him into custody a short time later after discovering him hiding under the covered parking spaces of a nearby gym.

Cupil-Hernandez will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. 

FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Homero Ramirez prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

LAREDO, Texas – Three Guatemalan nationals have made their initial appearances in federal court on charges stemming from a crash of a tractor-trailer packed with at least 160 illegal aliens – many of them Guatemalan – that killed more than 50 people, including unaccompanied children, and injured over 100 more. 

The extraditions are the result of sustained coordination between the Justice Department and Guatemalan authorities following an international enforcement operation carried out Dec. 9, 2024, the third anniversary of the tragedy. The extraditions mark yet another significant step in the Justice Department’s efforts to bring those responsible to justice.

“This DOJ is investigating and prosecuting human smuggling more aggressively than ever before, and Joint Task Force Alpha is the tip of the spear,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will not rest until those who profit from the suffering of vulnerable people — including many unaccompanied children — face severe, comprehensive justice.”

“Human smugglers do not care if the people they transport live or die,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei of the Southern District of Texas. “They do not care if unaccompanied children have food, water, or even air to breathe. They respect neither the law nor basic principles of decency. They care for only one thing—the blood money they make from the suffering of others. But these extraditions show that the United States will never tire in pursuing them. There is no border, no refuge that can shield these criminals from justice.”

“Five Guatemalan smugglers charged in the Chiapas mass casualty incident are now in U.S. custody,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This case demonstrates the ability of Joint Task Force Alpha and its domestic and international law enforcement partners to dismantle the most lethal human smuggling networks. Human smuggling organizations profit by exploiting the vulnerable, putting lives at grave risk for financial gain.  Even those smugglers who try to hide beyond the reach of the United States will be brought to justice for the death and suffering they have caused.”

Tomas Quino Canil, 37, Oswaldo Manuel Zavala Quino aka Osvaldo ZQ, 25, and Josefa Quino Canil De Zavala, 43, were arrested in Boquerón, Guatemala, Dec. 9, 2024, pursuant to U.S. extradition requests, and were surrendered to U.S. authorities Sept. 3. They have now made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga in Laredo.

A fourth Guatemalan national, Daniel Zavala Ramos aka Dany ZR, 41, was arrested Aug. 7 in Boquerón and is pending extradition.

Two additional defendants were also arrested during the coordinated operation in December 2024. Alberto Marcario Chitic aka Alberto De Jesus, 32, was also arrested in Boquerón and extradited to the United States in May. Authorities took Jorge Agapito Ventura aka Jorge Ventura, George Ventura and El Raitero, 33, into custody at his residence in Cleveland, Texas.

All six are charged with conspiracy to bring illegal aliens into the United States, placing life in jeopardy, causing serious bodily injuries and resulting in death.

According to court documents, from October 2021 to February 2023, all six worked with other smugglers to facilitate the travel of illegal aliens from Guatemala through Mexico into the United States. They allegedly recruited them, collected payment and arranged travel by foot, microbuses, cattle trucks and tractor-trailers.

In some instances, the scheme allegedly involved the smuggling of unaccompanied minors. The indictment alleges the defendants also provided the illegal aliens with scripts and instructions on what to say if apprehended. Some of the individuals they recruited died or suffered serious bodily injury as a result of the Dec. 9, 2021, crash according to the charges.

If convicted, all face a maximum penalty of life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

ICE – HSI’s Counter Proliferation Investigations Group in Washington D.C. conducted the joint investigation with HSI offices in Guatemala and Mexico with substantial assistance of HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit and HSI offices in  Houston and San Antonio, Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center, Operation Sentinel, Border Patrol, Liberty County Constable Precinct 6, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations in Houston, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas and Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training.

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions. Guatemalan prosecutors and Mexican prosecutors from the Republic of Mexico’s Federal Prosecutions Office also known as Fiscalía General de la República, with the support of law enforcement officials from both countries, were also instrumental in furthering the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Day and Mary Lou Castillo are prosecuting the case along with Senior Trial Attorney Danielle Hickman of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section.

The indictment is the 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 networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the 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 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, Drug Enforcement Administration and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 410 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 355 U.S. convictions; more than 305 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

This case is also 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 Neighborhood.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

The Justice Department announced today that three Guatemalan nationals charged in connection with the Dec. 9, 2021 mass casualty event in Chiapas, Mexico, have been extradited from Guatemala to the United States to face prosecution. The crash of a tractor-trailer  packed with at least 160 illegal aliens – many of them Guatemalan – killed more than 50 people, including unaccompanied children, and injured over 100 more.

Yesterday’s extraditions are the result of sustained coordination between the Justice Department and Guatemalan authorities following an international enforcement operation carried out on Dec. 9, 2024, the third anniversary of the tragedy. The extraditions mark yet another significant step in the Justice Department’s efforts to bring those responsible to justice.

“This DOJ is investigating and prosecuting human smuggling more aggressively than ever before, and Joint Task Force Alpha is the tip of the spear,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will not rest until those who profit from the suffering of vulnerable people — including many unaccompanied children — face severe, comprehensive justice.”

“Five Guatemalan smugglers charged in the Chiapas mass casualty incident are now in U.S. custody,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This case demonstrates the ability of Joint Task Force Alpha and its domestic and international law enforcement partners to dismantle the most lethal human smuggling networks. Human smuggling organizations profit by exploiting the vulnerable, putting lives at grave risk for financial gain.  Even those smugglers who try to hide beyond the reach of the U.S. will be brought to justice for the death and suffering they have caused.”

“Human smugglers do not care if the people they transport live or die,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei of the Southern District of Texas. “They do not care if unaccompanied children have food, water, or even air to breathe. They respect neither the law nor basic principles of decency. They care for only one thing — the blood money they make from the suffering of others. But these extraditions show that the United States will never tire in pursuing them. There is no border, no refuge that can shield these criminals from justice.”

Tomas Quino Canil, 37; Oswaldo Manuel Zavala Quino also known as Osvaldo ZQ, 25; and Josefa Quino Canil De Zavala, 43, were arrested in Boquerón, Guatemala on Dec. 9, 2024, pursuant to U.S. extradition requests, and were surrendered to U.S. authorities on Sept. 3, 2025. A fourth Guatemalan national, Daniel Zavala Ramos also known as “Dany ZR,” 41, was arrested on Aug. 7, 2025 in Boquerón and is pending extradition.

Two additional defendants were also arrested during the coordinated operation. Alberto Marcario Chitic also known as Alberto De Jesus, 32, was also arrested in Boquerón on Dec. 9, 2024, and extradited to the United States in May 2025. Jorge Agapito Ventura also known as Jorge Ventura, George Ventura, and El Raitero, 33, was arrested at his residence in Cleveland, Texas.

All six defendants are each charged in the Southern District of Texas with conspiracy to bring undocumented aliens to the United States, placing life in jeopardy, causing serious bodily injury, and resulting in death. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of life in prison.

According to court documents, from Oct. 2021 to Feb. 2023, the defendants conspired with other smugglers to transport undocumented aliens from Guatemala though Mexico to the United States. They allegedly recruited Guatemalan aliens, collected payment, and arranged for the aliens to travel by foot, inside microbuses, cattle trucks, and tractor-trailers. In some instances, including the smuggling of unaccompanied minors, the defendants provided scripts and instructions on what to say if apprehended. Some of the aliens recruited by the defendants died or suffered serious bodily injury as result of the Dec. 9, 2021, crash.

HSI’s Counter Proliferation Investigations Group in Washington D.C. investigated the case in partnership with HSI Guatemala and HSI Mexico. Valuable assistance was provided by HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit; HSI Houston; HSI Laredo; U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center; Operation Sentinel; U.S. Border Patrol; Liberty County Constable, Precinct 6; ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston; U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas, Beaumont Division; and the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training (OPDAT). The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions of the defendants. Guatemalan prosecutors and Mexican prosecutors from the Republic of Mexico’s Federal Prosecutions Office also known as Fiscalía General de la República (FGR), with the support of law enforcement officials from both countries, were also instrumental in furthering the investigation.

Senior Trial Attorney Danielle Hickman of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary Lou Castillo and Jennifer Day for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance from HRSP Latin American Specialist/Historian Joanna Crandall.

The indictment of these defendants is the result of the coordinated efforts of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Joint Task Force Alpha. JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA is currently comprised of detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along southern and northern borders. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by HRSP and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 410 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 355 U.S. convictions; more than 305 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood.

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

Note: A copy of the superseding indictment is here

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 19-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison for attempting to illegally export firearms to Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Kenji Daniel Juarez pleaded guilty April 23 to receiving, concealing, buying, selling and facilitating the transportation, concealment and sale of firearms and ammunition magazines prior to exportation. 

U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. has now ordered Juarez to serve 46 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court reviewed additional evidence, including a photograph showing the weapons involved in the offense. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the weapons were highly dangerous and could have been used by the cartel for criminal purposes.

On Nov. 16, 2024, law enforcement observed Juarez receive multiple firearms from several people on two occasions at a gun show in McAllen. He later went to a residence in Brownsville, where authorities approached him.

A search of the home revealed seven handguns, eight semi-automatic rifles and 22 ammunition magazines in his bedroom. He admitted the firearms and magazines were intended for export to Mexico. He further acknowledged he had previously smuggled firearms and ammunition across the border.

Juarez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel Castro prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. 

McALLEN, Texas – Two men have been sentenced following their convictions of conspiracy to traffic firearms and smuggling goods out of the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Esteban Rios Reyes, 35, a legal permanent resident of Silverhill, Alabama, pleaded guilty Jan. 28, while Alex Santos Lopez, 22, a U.S. citizen residing in Oaxaca, Mexico, admitted his guilt Feb. 16, 2024.

Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Lopez and Reyes to serve 90 and 87 months in federal prison, respectively. Lopez was ordered to serve three years of supervised release after his prison term, while Reyes, who is not a U.S. citizen, could lose his status to reside in the United States. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about how frequently the organization exported weapons and coordinated across several states in the months before the smuggling attempt. In handing down the sentence, Judge Crane emphasized Lopez’s and Reyes’ leadership roles in the organization and the lengths they went to conceal their behavior.  

On Sept. 6, 2023, Lopez drove a truck towing a utility trailer and attempted to exit the United States. An outbound inspection led to the discovery of 270 firearms, 251 firearm magazines, nine sights and 1,541 rounds of ammunition. The weapons were a combination of assault rifles, shotguns, pistols and rifles, many of them disassembled. All the items were individually wrapped and hidden either behind a false wall that was built into the utility trailer or inside water heaters that Reyes had purchased to disguise the load.

The investigation revealed that this was not the first load of firearms that the organization had attempted to traffic into Mexico. The traffickers had been acquiring firearms since 2022 at various locations across the United States, including Louisiana, Alabama, Oklahoma, North Carolina and Tennessee. The weapons were then stored at stash houses in Texas, disassembled and wrapped, and ultimately concealed in trailers before being smuggled into Mexico.

This operation led to arrests in numerous districts across the United States, resulting in the disruption of several smuggling attempts and the seizure of nearly 1,000 firearms destined for Mexico.   

Co-conspirators Felipe Garcia, 36, and Angel Carreno, 25, both of Dallas, and Jose Luis Pacheco, 25, a U.S. citizen living in Guadalajara, Mexico, previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the trafficking organization and were ordered to serve 57, 57 and 54 months in federal prison, respectively.  

Lopez and Reyes have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee A. Fry prosecuted the case.

This case was prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, enacted in June 2022. It is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.

OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage. 

HOUSTON – Between Aug. 22-28, a total of 356 individuals have been charged in immigration and related matters as part of ongoing enforcement efforts along the South Texas border, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.  

A total of 180 people face charges of illegally reentering the country after removal, most with prior felony convictions for narcotics, violent crime, sexual offenses, prior immigration crimes and more. Another 153 people face charges of illegally entering the country, 13 other defendants are charged with human smuggling and the remaining 10 individuals have varying charges to include firearms offenses, assaulting federal officers and other related immigration crimes. 

Some of those facing new criminal charges are a result of “Operation Pick-Off,” a new initiative that targets those illegally residing in the United States while serving terms of probation following convictions for state crimes, such as drug offenses, human smuggling, fraud, burglary and assault. The enforcement effort, announced Aug. 25, led to federal charges against 67 illegal aliens in the Rio Grande Valley area, 65 of whom had returned to the country after being previously removed, only to commit other crimes, according to the allegations.

“For those that want to come to this country without permission and then victimize American citizens once here, we are more than happy to accommodate them with a stay at a federal facility, followed by a one-way ticket home,” said Ganjei. “SDTX will not rest until we’ve brought Operation Pick-Off to each and every one of the Southern District’s 43 counties. If you’re here illegally and you commit crimes in our community, you can expect a visit from us, and that visit is going to come sooner rather than later. This is what Operation Take Back America looks like.”

Also, part of the new cases filed this week include charges against two Mexican nationals who had been removed in May but allegedly returned illegally shortly thereafter. The criminal complaints allege authorities found Jairo Neftali Velasco-Gomez and Luis Alberto Mejia-Bertrand near Fronton and Hidalgo, respectively. Velasco-Gomez has a prior conviction for being an alien in possession of a firearm, while Mejia-Bertrand had been sentenced for transporting/harboring illegal aliens prior to his removal, according to their charges.

This week law enforcement also found three other Mexican nationals who had previously been removed near Edinburg, according to the criminal complaints. Charges allege Edgar Omar Gallegos-Aboytes and Monico Espinoza-Martinez have both been sentenced previously for illegal reentry crimes, while Julio Cesar Martinez-Arjona has a prior conviction for assault of a family member.

Authorities also found Honduran national Jose Alberto Medina-Atunez near Escobares this week, he has been alleged to have been previously removed from the United States after being convicted of possessing cocaine. Others charged with illegally reentering the United States after being removed include three more Mexican nationals whose alleged prior convictions include transporting/harboring illegal aliens, firearms and drug offenses. These complaints allege Angel Alejandro Salazar-Cantu, Alberto Karr-Magana and Ramon Pena-Medina had each been previously removed but returned again unlawfully - all of them now face up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted of illegal reentry into the United States.              

These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

The 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 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.  

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.

An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

HOUSTON – A 33-year-old Guatemalan national who illegally resided in Houston has been ordered to federal prison for conspiracy to transport other illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Junior Morales-Chutan pleaded guilty April 24. 

U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett has now ordered Morales-Chutan to serve 48 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.

“As this office has pointed out several times before, the human smuggling business is ruthless, inhumane, and sometimes deadly,” said Ganjei. “This case shows how those who make their living smuggling and warehousing human beings have no respect for the safety or dignity of their fellow man. Don’t put your life, or the lives of your loved ones, in their hands. Stay home and stay safe.”

Morales-Chutan ran a stash house in Houston where illegal aliens were kept after being smuggled into the United States from various countries. There, associates used weapons and threats to keep them from leaving. Morales-Chutan was also in charge of picking up money paid in relation to the smuggling scheme.

In August 2023, the father of two illegal aliens had paid $25,000 for their transportation from Guatemala to the United States. Once they were in Houston, Morales-Chutan demanded an additional $32,500 in ransom for their release. He threatened that if he did not get the money by the end of the day, he would turn them over to the cartel. 

The investigation led to a residence on Tanager Street in Houston, where authorities recovered firearms, cash and ledgers detailing human smuggling.

The smuggled individuals were later released and identified Morales-Chutan as the one in charge of the stash house and that there had been up to 20 other illegal aliens there at various times.

Morales-Chutan is also an illegal alien himself, having been previously removed from the United States and reentered unlawfully approximately 18 months prior to the smuggling offense. He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Day prosecuted the case.

HOUSTON – A 41-year-old Mexican national has been ordered federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute 116 kilograms of methamphetamine and for unlawfully possessing ammunition and multiple weapons, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Eustorgio Quiroz-Salto pleaded guilty July 11, 2024.

U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett has now ordered Quiroz-Salto to serve a total of 240 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that described his prior convictions for cocaine trafficking in the Southern District of Florida in 2011. In addition, Judge Bennett ordered the forfeiture of all weapons and ammunition seized.

“Public safety begins with taking the most dangerous recidivists off the street,” said Ganjei. “When a defendant, like the one here, illegally enters our country three times, engages in drug trafficking despite having prior drug convictions, and illegally possesses firearms, he better believe we’re going to come looking for him.”

“Not only was Quiroz-Salto in the country illegally, but when Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents arrested him, they uncovered a substantial amount of methamphetamine destined for our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan C. Pullen of the DEA – Houston Division. “He was caught in the act, selling deadly drugs near a place of worship, and now he'll spend two decades behind bars paying the price for his reckless actions that threatened to destroy lives.”

On Dec 12, 2023, Quiroz-Salto arranged to deliver over 20 kilograms of methamphetamine aka “ice” in the parking lot of a church in Crosby. When he arrived with Manuel Varjas Corona, authorities arrested both men and seized multiple kilograms of narcotics from their vehicle.

A subsequent search of the home where Quiroz-Salto resided resulted in the seizure of an additional 93.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, 12 firearms, a silencer, 351 rounds of live ammunition and multiple firearm parts.

Quiroz-Salto had been removed in 2007 and 2008 and returned illegally. He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Corona, 51, a Mexican national who illegally resided in Houston, also pleaded guilty to his role and is set for sentencing at a later date. At that time, he faces up to life in prison.

DEA conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, Harris County Sheriff’s Office and Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shelley J. Sullivan prosecuted the case.

HOUSTON – A 64-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison after his conviction on all counts as charged for leading a Medicare fraud scheme involving the submission of falsified medical records, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

The jury deliberated for less than two hours following a three-day trial before finding Paul Njoku guilty May 21.

U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett has now ordered Njoku to serve 75 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted his familiarity with the evidence and noted Njoku’s aggravating role in the fraud conspiracy.

Njoku owned and operated a home health care agency called Opnet Health Care Services Inc. doing business as P & P Health Care Services. Njoku was the owner and CEO.

The jury heard testimony from witnesses that Njoku, or others working at his direction, forged signatures of doctors and nurses. Specifically, Njoku and others cut out old signatures and taped them onto newly created doctors’ orders, nursing notes and nursing assessments. Medicare required home health agencies to maintain these documents to obtain payment for providing home health services. Njoku then submitted the falsified records in response to a request for records from Medicare.

The jury also heard about a registered nurse who had departed Opnet in 2017. Njoku continued using her signature on nursing notes and assessments—including records which had to be signed by a registered nurse—in 2018 and 2019 without her knowledge or consent.

A witness also testified that Njoku bribed a doctor in exchange for approving home health services.

From 2015 to 2019, Opnet billed Medicare over $400,000 in claims for home health services and received over $360,000. Opnet did not maintain the required documentation for many of them and later falsified records to support the claims.

During the trial, a representative testified that Medicare would not have paid these claims had Medicare known there was no documentation or that they were based on falsified records.

The defense attempted to blame another person for the fraud. The jury did not believe those claims and found Njoku guilty as charged.

Njoku was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The FBI, Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General and Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christian Latham and Kathryn Olson are prosecuting the case.

McALLEN, Texas – A total of 78 people have been taken into custody for various immigration-related violations following a major enforcement action throughout the Rio Grande Valley, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Several have begun to make their appearances before U.S. magistrate judges in McAllen and Brownsville.

Operation Pick-Off it is a multi-agency immigration/violent crime effort targeting criminals in the Rio Grande Valley. It began Aug. 22 and continued through the weekend in the counties of Cameron, Willacy, Hidalgo and Starr.

“For those that want to come to this country without permission and then victimize American citizens once here, we are more than happy to accommodate them with a stay at a federal facility, followed by a one-way ticket home,” said Ganjei. “SDTX will not rest until we’ve brought Operation Pick-Off to each and every one of the Southern District’s 43 counties. If you’re here illegally and you commit crimes in our community, you can expect a visit from us, and that visit is going to come sooner rather than later. This is what Operation Take Back America looks like.”

The overall effort involved the arrests of 65 people who are allegedly in the country illegally after having been previously removed. The charges allege they were serving varying terms of probation following convictions for state crimes, such as drug offenses, human smuggling, fraud, burglary and assault. If convicted, most face up to 20 years in federal prison.

In addition to those charged with illegal reentry after removal, authorities arrested two others on misdemeanor warrants for avoidance of examination or inspection by immigration officers. They were also on state probation for other crimes.  

Law enforcement also identified and arrested 11 others on similar immigration-related violations who are expected to be immediately removed from the country. 

In support of Operation Pick-Off, the FBI, through its Summer Heat initiative, surged resources alongside its law enforcement partners to focus on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against priority targets.

“Today’s threats are too complex, too dangerous, and too widespread for any one agency to handle alone. That’s why the FBI joined forces with its law enforcement partners to launch a bold, coordinated strike,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI – San Antonio Field Office. “Operation Pick Off stands as proof of what that unity can achieve, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the unwavering dedication of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to protecting our southern border.”

“This operation reflects the strength of coordinated law enforcement at every level,” said Acting Chief Patrol Agent Jason E. Schneider of Border Patrol – Rio Grande Valley Sector. “Through close collaboration we successfully targeted and apprehended individuals who posed a threat to our communities and national security. This mission underscores our commitment to securing our borders and upholding the law through multi-agency operations.”

FBI and Border Patrol worked with the U.S. Attorney’s Office as the primary law enforcement agencies investigating this matter, with assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Marshals Service; ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Texas Department of Public Safety and IRS Criminal Investigation.  

Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Brownsville and McAllen Divisions are prosecuting the cases.

The collaborative effort 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 Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Two Houston residents have been sentenced following their convictions for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Richard Dell Carroll II, 26, and Josue Isaac Hernandez aka Dre, 23, pleaded guilty May 28 and April 3, respectively, admitting they worked together to recruit drivers from around the country to smuggle illegal aliens to Houston in exchange for money.

U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now imposed a 66-month term of imprisonment for both men to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release.

At the hearing, the court heard how Carroll lied about his background, falsely claiming Tesla employed him and that he was enrolled at Rice University. Evidence showed Carroll portrayed himself as an entrepreneur and financial adviser to those he recruited, offering to invest their illegal proceeds despite having no qualifications. In imposing the sentence, Judge Morales told Carroll he needed to focus on his integrity in the future and that he should not embellish things in person or online because when people believe it, it could lead to fraud.

Hernandez had used his illegal gains to fund a lavish lifestyle that included international trips and private jets.

Testimony also detailed the inhumane conditions the smuggled aliens faced. In one instance, a seven-year-old girl was sweating inside a plastic bin after being separated from her mother. In another, authorities discovered two young women hidden in a fake speaker box in a trunk which reached temperatures of 102.4 degrees.

The court heard that law enforcement had apprehended more than 100 aliens during at least 53 failed smuggling attempts that could be definitively linked to Carroll and Hernandez.

In December 2022, authorities began linking a series of smuggling attempts after repeatedly encountering illegal aliens hidden in fake speaker boxes inside car trunks and in large plastic totes concealed with sheets. The investigation revealed Hernandez and Carroll were the coordinators and had recruited drivers through Instagram and other social media platforms. Law enforcement also uncovered shopping lists Hernandez and Carroll sent to drivers and discovered they had arranged the installation of the fake speaker boxes. They also charged drivers $1,000 per alien to recover costs.

Hernandez and Carroll will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara J. De Pena prosecuted the case.

HOUSTON – A total of 376 people have been charged from Aug. 15-21 in continuing efforts to secure the southern border, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

The filed cases include 18 people allegedly involved in human smuggling. A total of 206 more are charged with illegally entering the country, while another 150 face charges of felony reentry after removal. Most of those foreign nationals have prior felonies involving narcotics, violent crime, immigration offenses and more. Other relevant cases charged this week relate to other immigration crimes.

One of those charged this week in Laredo includes Kenneth Gamboa. On Aug. 15, Gamboa allegedly drove a box truck hiding 40 illegal aliens to a Border Patrol checkpoint in Jim Hogg County. The investigation revealed a false wall in the storage area of the vehicle that had created a hidden compartment, according to the complaint. The charges allege it had multiple boards screwed shut to prevent the individuals from being able to get out on their own. A total of 26 of the illegal aliens are now also charged with illegal reentry after removal. Gamboa faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of human smuggling.

A McAllen criminal complaint charges four more people, two of whom are illegal aliens themselves, for their alleged involvement in an alien smuggling ring in Hidalgo County. Rio Grande Valley residents Enrique Gonzalez and Rigoberto Esteban Perez-Cruz and Mexican nationals Erick Vallejo-Zapata and Mirza Garcia-Zapata allegedly harbored illegal aliens at residences. Gonzalez, Vallejo-Zapata and Garcia-Zapata are also alleged to have transported the aliens, who were from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Ecuador and India, and who face their own immigration charges as a result of the investigation.

Another illegal alien facing charges this week is Mexican national Carlos Alberto Garza-Garcia, who authorities allegedly discovered unlawfully in the United States near Hidalgo. According to court documents, he was previously removed just this year - May 29 - and has a prior conviction for illegal reentry.       

Criminal complaints also allege Mexican nationals Magdaleno Valadez-Ortiz, Luis Gustavo Ramos-Ibarra and Esvan Gonzalez-Manzano had been previously removed from the country on various dates between 2018-2023. However, all were allegedly found in the Rio Grande Valley this week. Gonzalez-Manzano has a prior conviction for illegal reentry, while Valadez-Ortiz and Ramos-Ibarra both have prior convictions of drug-related crimes, according to their charges.  

If convicted of felony illegal reentry after removal as charged, all four face up to 20 years in prison. 

In addition to the new cases, Honduran national Elmer Leonel Ramos-Agurcia was sentenced to federal prison after assaulting law enforcement agents as he attempted to unlawfully enter the country. On April 15, he arrived at the Brownsville & Matamoros port of entry. He did not have any documentation and was denied entry. He tackled an agent and ran towards the bridge where he jumped over the fence towards the Rio Grande. Authorities conducted a foot pursuit. As they attempted to arrest him, Ramos-Agurcia bit one agent and reached for the other’s holster. The court ordered he serve 18 months in prison and warned him his sentence would increase if he reentered illegally and committed further crimes.

These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

The 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 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.  

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes. 

An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

HOUSTON - A 25-year-old Houston resident has been ordered to federal prison for his role in a methamphetamine conspiracy and for possessing machine guns in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Kendal Alejandro Monzon Jr. was a member of Partidos Revolucionarios Mexicanos (PRM) and pleaded guilty April 18.

U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge has now ordered Monzon to serve 480 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about Monzon’s role in multi-kilogram drug seizures, including heroin and fentanyl at the Laredo port of entry, cocaine in Brownsville, heroin in Livingston and cash proceeds in Brownsville and Atlanta, Georgia. The court also noted seizures in Houston; Chicago, Illinois; and St. Louis, Missouri, all tied to the drug trafficking organization PRM. 

“The defendant was a key player in a nationwide drug trafficking operation, but now he’ll be spending the next four decades in federal prison. A similarly lengthy sentence awaits others that seek to make a quick buck by smuggling drugs into our country,” said Ganjei. “The message this sentence sends is clear:  don’t spread your poison in our communities, because if you do, the Southern District of Texas will make sure that you pay the price.”

“Monzon, who is part of a violent prison gang, was using our southern Texas border to smuggle a significant amount of dangerous drugs throughout the country more than a decade ago,” said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Houston Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan C. Pullen. “The Houston Division DEA agents halted his drug trafficking activities, which impacted the thriving operations of PRM within the U.S. Today's hefty sentence serves as a reminder of the punishment that awaits those who bring poison to our country.”

On Nov. 24, 2020, law enforcement attempted a traffic stop on Monzon after observing traffic violations near his home. He fled at speeds up to 90 mph through residential areas, ran multiple red lights and stop signs, and eventually crashed into a law enforcement vehicle. Authorities discovered 15 plastic-wrapped cylinders inside a plastic tub in the vehicle and ultimately seized approximately 17,234 grams of methamphetamine.

The investigation led to other similar seizures linked to Monzon, some also including cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana, large amounts of cash, several sealed prescription bottles of Promethazine with Codeine and various weapons as well as ledgers listing methamphetamine prices and weights.

Authorities later executed a search warrant at Monzon’s residence and recovered 47 kilograms of methamphetamine, 114.7 grams of heroin, 39.9 kilograms of marijuana and 13.7 kilograms of Promethazine with Codeine.

They also seized more than 20 firearms, one of which had been stolen from a member of law enforcement. Several of the weapons had silencers attached, and some had been altered to be fully automatic.

Monzon has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

DEA conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Laurence Goldman and Christine Lu prosecuted the case.

McALLEN, Texas – Four people, two of whom are illegal aliens themselves, have been charged for their alleged involvement in an alien smuggling ring, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Enrique Gonzalez, 57, of Weslaco, and Mexican national Erick Vallejo-Zapata, 21, are set for their initial appearances Aug. 22 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Juan F. Alanis. Rigoberto Esteban Perez-Cruz, 37, of Edinburg, and Mexican national Mirza Garcia-Zapata, 37, have already made their appearances, remain in custody and are set for detention hearings Aug. 26 at 2 p.m.

The criminal complaint alleges all four harbored illegal aliens at residences throughout Hidalgo County. Gonzalez, Vallejo-Zapata and Garcia-Zapata are also alleged to have transported aliens.  

On Aug. 20, Perez-Cruz left a residence in Edinburg and committed a traffic violation, according to the charges. During the subsequent traffic stop, authorities allegedly discovered an illegal alien in the passenger seat.

Shortly thereafter, law enforcement executed search warrants at that residence and another in Donna, and found an additional 24 illegal aliens, two of whom were unaccompanied minors, according to the charges. The complaint alleges Garcia-Zapata and Perez-Cruz were the caretakers of the stash houses.

According to the charges, the illegal aliens had been previously held at Gonzalez’s house, where Vallejo-Zapata had photographed them. Gonzalez also allegedly took their phones. Court documents indicate Gonzalez and Vallejo-Zapata then transported them to the various stash houses across Hidalgo County.

The illegal aliens discovered at the locations are from the countries of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Ecuador and India, according to the charges.

As part of the investigation, nine of these aliens are now also charged with felony illegal reentry after removal and face up to 10 years in federal prison. Criminal complaints also charge 10 others with illegal entry into the United States.  

If convicted, Gonzalez, Vallejo-Zapata, Garcia-Zapata and Perez-Cruz face up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin V. Walker is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

HOUSTON – A 35-year-old East Texas man has made his initial appearance in federal court on charges of attempting to commit bank fraud, aggravated identity theft and impersonating an officer or employee of the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Previously in custody on related charges, Daniel Ricardo Field was transferred to federal authorities and made his initial appearance bef0re U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray. He is set for a detention hearing at 2 p.m.

The three-count indictment, returned Aug. 13, alleges Field impersonated an FBI special agent in an attempt to defraud Ally Bank of $93,462.56. On or about April 22, he also allegedly used another individual’s personal information such as name, birthdate and Social Security number in an attempt to execute the scheme.  

If convicted of bank fraud, Field faces up to 30 years in federal prison and a possible $1 million maximum fine, while impersonating a federal officer carries a maximum three-year sentence and up to $250,000 as a potential fine. He also faces another two years if convicted of the identity theft which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed.

FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Harris County Sherriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Celia Moyer is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 37-year-old local resident has entered a guilty plea to possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and distribution of crack cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Evaristo Coleman admitted he was selling cocaine and crack cocaine from his apartment in Corpus Christi. 

The investigation began in January following multiple reports of alleged drug sales from the apartment. Authorities conducted surveillance and observed regular customers who came to buy cocaine and crack cocaine.

In February, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the residence where they discovered more than 100 grams of crack cocaine, nearly 300 grams of powder cocaine. They also found two 9mm pistols that Coleman possessed while selling the drugs.

U.S. District Judge David Morales will impose sentencing Nov. 20. At that time, Coleman faces up to 40 years for the drug charge and a minimum of five years and up to life for the firearms charge which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed. Both convictions also carry a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

Coleman has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Corpus Christi Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Griffith is prosecuting the case.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 35-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison for production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) otherwise known as sexual exploitation of a child, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Valentine Cancino pleaded guilty Feb. 20.

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now sentenced Cancino to 324 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard that Cancino was actually sexually abusing the minor as authorities knocked on the door to serve the search warrant in the case. In handing down the prison term, the court noted the serious facts and circumstances which supported the sentence imposed. Cancino will also serve 10 years on supervised release following the completion of his prison term, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designated to restrict his access to children and the internet. Cancino will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. Restitution will be determined at a later date.

The investigation into Cancino began when authorities received multiple cyber-tips indicating CSAM been uploaded onto the internet. Law enforcement was able to identify Cancino as the source of the content.

On Jan. 30, 2024, authorities obtained a search warrant for Cancino’s residence in Corpus Christi. They located and seized two electronic devices.

One of those devices was a Samsung Galaxy cell phone. Upon inspection, authorities discovered a video recording Cancino made of himself engaging in sexual activity with a minor relative.

Cancino has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

“There is hardly a sentence available that can fully account for the depravity of the defendant’s conduct, but the 27-year sentence he received here will have to do,” said Ganjei. “The Southern District is working tirelessly to identify and apprehend predators like Mr. Cancino before they can exploit others.”

“Despite overseeing criminal investigations for thousands of child exploitation-related cases in my 30-year career, they never get easier, but Homeland Security Investigations’ efforts to expose these heinous predators and prevent them from harming any more innocent children have expanded greatly since I first started,” said HSI - Houston Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz. “It’s thanks to those partnerships with fellow law enforcement agencies like the Corpus Christi Police Department and groups like the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that we are able to quickly identify dangerous predators like Mr. Cancino who are hiding in plain sight in the local community and hold them accountable.”

Immigration and Customs Enforcement – HSI and CCPD conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Overman prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.

LAREDO, Texas – A 25-year-old Houston resident has been charged with smuggling more than three dozen people in truck discovered near Hebbronville with no means of escape, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Kenneth Gamboa is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian Bajew at 9:30 a.m. Several others facing illegal reentry charges are also set to appear in federal court in relation to the smuggling event.

The criminal complaint alleges that on the very early morning hours of Aug. 15, Gamboa arrived at the Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint on Farm to Market Road 1017 in Jim Hogg County. He was allegedly driving a box truck with paper plates.

At primary inspection, a K-9 alerted to presence of humans or narcotics in the cargo area of the box truck, according to the charges. A subsequent x-ray scan allegedly revealed what appeared to be humans standing next to each other in the storage area of the box truck.

The investigation revealed a false wall in the storage area of the truck towards the front of the cargo area that had created a hidden compartment, according to the complaint. The charges allege it had multiple boards screwed shut to prevent the individuals from being able to get out on their own. Authorities allegedly had to remove the screws sealing the hidden compartment, at which time they discovered 40 people behind the false wall.

Law enforcement was able to determine that 26 of them had allegedly been previously removed from the United States. They now face charges of illegal reentry into the United States and possible prison terms of up to 20 years.   

If convicted, Gamboa faces up to 10 years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Houston conducted the investigation with the substantial assistance of Border Patrol and ICE-HSI San Antonio. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tory Sailer is prosecuting the case. 

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

A complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law. 

McALLEN, Texas – Five Rio Grande Valley residents have been indicted for wire fraud in a scheme involving the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Authorities have now arrested the final two - Sandra Pope Solis, 60, Rancho Viejo, and Lesley Chavez, 42, Edinburg - who are expected to make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker at 10 a.m. Rolando Santiago Benitez, 51, Harlingen, is set for a detention hearing at 1:30 p.m., while Bernardo Gomez Jr., 46, Edinburg, and Edgar De La Garza, 45, Brownsville, had previously made their appearances in federal court.

According to the eight-count indictment returned Aug. 5, all five individuals submitted fraudulent loan applications to obtain EIDL and/or PPP loans through the Small Business Administration (SBA). The charges allege these loan programs were intended to alleviate economic injury the COVID-19 pandemic caused, allowing small businesses to continue to make payroll and other business-related payments. However, these local business owners allegedly took advantage of these programs and misused the funds.

From June 2020 through November 2021, Benitez, Pope, Chavez, Gomez and De La Garza each submitted application(s) for loans the SBA sponsored, according to the charges. As part of the scheme, they allegedly helped alter or create falsified tax and related business documents to inflate the approvable loan amount. The indictment alleges these documents were then submitted with the applications. Once the loans were approved, each then allegedly used the fraudulently obtained proceeds for personal expenses and enrichment.  

The scheme resulted in a total loss of $685,800, according to the charges.  

If convicted, all five each face up to 20 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

FBI and SBA - Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation with the assistance of Texas Department of Insurance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Fry is prosecuting the case.

The COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force was established to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department's response to the pandemic, please visit Justice.gov/Coronavirus and Justice.gov/Coronavirus/CombatingFraud.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice's National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

HOUSTON – A total of 262 new cases have been filed related to immigration and border security from Aug. 8-14, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Among those are 109 people who face charges of illegally reentering the country. The majority have prior felony convictions for narcotics, violent crimes, sexual offenses, prior immigration crimes and more. A total of 132 people are charged with illegally entering the country, while 15 people were allegedly engaged in human smuggling. The remaining cases involve other immigration crimes and firearms offenses.

One of those charged is Osvaldo Martin Acevedo-Rodriguez for allegedly being an alien illegally in possession of a firearm. During a traffic stop in Edinburg, authorities found a .40 caliber pistol as well as a THC cartridge and methamphetamine in his possession, according to the complaint. The charges further allege he had been removed from the country on at least one prior occasion. He faces up to 15 years in federal prison.

In another case filed this week, a crash and rollover resulted in hospitalization and human smuggling charges for a 22-year-old Laredo resident, according to court records. Mario Alberto Mercado allegedly failed to yield to law enforcement, turned off his headlights and accelerated in an attempt to flee. Mercado crashed the black Cadillac he had been driving into a tree, according to the charges. The four passengers in the vehicle were allegedly treated for minor injuries and determined to all be in the United States illegally. Mercado faces up to 10 years in prison, upon conviction.

Criminal complaints also allege three individuals attempted to unlawfully reenter the country after they had already been removed this year. Honduran nationals Mauricio Misael Martinez-Martinez and Irma Alcerro-Catano were previously removed Feb. 19 and May 17, respectively, according to court records, while authorities removed Mexican national Domingo Martinez-Vasquez May 7. Each allegedly has prior felony convictions, including illegal reentry, possession of a controlled substance or assault of a family member. All three were allegedly found in the United States without legal authorization and now face up to 20 years in federal prison, if convicted.        

In addition to the new cases, a Brownsville federal jury returned a guilty verdict against the owners of Abby’s Bakery and Dulce’s Café in Los Fresnos for employing and housing illegal aliens within their restaurant. The jury deliberated for less than three hours before finding Leonardo Baez-Lara and Alicia Avila-Guel guilty as charged following a two-day trial. Testimony revealed they hired and harbored workers who were in the United States illegally or on B1/B2 visas without having the right to work. The jury heard that employees were living in a storage area with only one exit, sleeping on mattresses and rarely had hot water.

“The jury’s verdict vindicates the American people’s mandate that our immigration laws be fully enforced,” said Ganjei. “Business owners who put profits over their fellow citizens by harboring illegal aliens should be advised that the Southern District of Texas will not look the other way.”

One notable case announced out of the McAllen office was Cesar Rafael Leon, who was taken into federal custody following a crash during an alleged smuggling attempt through the Rio Grande Valley. According to the charges, Leon picked up five illegal aliens, ignored orders to stop, fled after the deployment of a vehicle immobilization device and eventually struck a law enforcement vehicle. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

In Victoria, a federal jury deliberated for only 23 minutes before finding a Guatemalan man guilty of felony reentry after removal. Miguel Angel Puac-Ramirez was a passenger during a traffic stop and provided a Guatemalan identification card listing a College Station address. Authorities determined he had no legal documentation to be in the United States. The defense attempted to convince the jury the case lacked the foundation for a conviction by literally piling up bricks on the jury box. The illustration was ineffective. The jury did not believe those claims and found Puac-Ramirez guilty as charged. He also faces up to 20 years in prison.

These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

The 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 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.  

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes. 

An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.nvicted through due process of law.

McALLEN, Texas – A 22-year-old Mexican man has been ordered to prison for transportation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Edi Quinones pleaded guilty Nov. 8, 2024.

U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now ordered Quinones to serve a total of 96 months in prison. The court enhanced the sentence after finding Quinones produced child pornography found on his phone. The court also issued a finding that a sexual act occurred while the minor victim was in his custody and control. The defense attempted to argue that his sentence should be mitigated because he was married to the minor victim in Mexico. The court heard evidence to rebut this claim and found no legal marriage could exist because the minor victim was under the age of 18.

Quinones will also be ordered to register as a sex offender and is expected to face removal proceedings following completion of his sentence.

On Sept. 11, 2024, Quinones attempted to enter the United States through the Hidalgo Port of Entry with his family. When questioned, authorities were notified his “wife” was 16 years of age.

During a review of his electronic device, authorities recovered numerous CSAM files depicting Quinones and the minor victim. Quinones admitted the minor victim was 15 years old at the time of the video production. Authorities discovered approximately 20 videos on the phone Quinones had filmed. The videos depicted two minor victims engaged in various illegal sexual acts.

Quinones has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin V. Walker prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page. 

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Two owners of Abby’s Bakery, located in Los Fresnos, have been convicted following the discovery of illegal aliens at their business, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

The jury deliberated for approximately three hours following a three-day trial before finding Leonardo Baez-Lara, 56, and Alicia Avila-Guel, 46, guilty on two counts of harboring aliens and conspiracy to do so.

The married couple are both legal permanent residents who resided in Los Fresnos and owned and operated Abby’s Bakery and Dulce’s Café in Los Fresnos since 2012. The investigation began after authorities discovered the pair were potentially employing and housing illegal aliens within their restaurant.

At trial, the jury heard about an enforcement action that occurred Feb. 12 at that location. Authorities had identified several employees and others who were in the United States illegally or in the country under B1/B2 visas without having the right to work.

Testimony revealed Baez-Lara and Avila-Guel illegally hired these individuals to work in their restaurant while harboring them.

The jury heard about a room the pair had provided for employees in the same shopping plaza as the restaurant. It was a rectangular room with mattresses on the floor and housed two employees at the time of inspection who were unauthorized to work in the United States. Testimony revealed the room was originally an insurance office which became repurposed as a storage area for kitchen equipment. Authorities also found electrical wires which, coupled with the absence of a fire extinguisher and only one entrance, resulted in a safety risk for the inhabitants. 

As more workers became employed, the couple provided this area for several individuals who did not have the right to work legally in the United States. Testimony showed that between five to six adults were residing in the room with the head baker living there for more than two years.

The jury also heard that for the prior four months before the arrests, the workers had hot water on only two occasions.

Evidence showed that the worksite enforcement action also resulted in the discovery of two illegal aliens unlawfully present in the country and six B1/B2 Visa holders who did not have the right to work in the United States.

Testimony also revealed that the business failed to file proper paperwork declaring its workers, paid its workers in cash and failed to follow their accountant’s advice to stop paying employees in cash.

One worker had arrived at the bakery upon a referral from a friend in Mexico. After entering the United States illegally, he had a brief interview regarding his abilities as a baker and was immediately offered a job and a place to stay.

Further testimony revealed another worker had been working at the bakery despite not having the right to do so before being removed during Covid. Upon reentering the country illegally, he was able to have Baez-Lara contacted and was then given a ride back to Los Fresnos where he was able to continue his work and continue to live there.

The defense attempted to convince the jury the owners only offered shelter to the aliens and that testimony did not reveal harboring took place. The jury did not believe those claims and found them guilty as charged.

“The jury’s verdict vindicates the American people’s mandate that our immigration laws be fully enforced,” said Ganjei. “Business owners who put profits over their fellow citizens by harboring illegal aliens should be advised that the Southern District of Texas will not look the other way.”

“The jury’s verdict affirms that the defendants knowingly conspired to harbor individuals in the country illegally, committed two separate acts of harboring, and did so for personal financial gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) San Antonio. “These actions not only violate federal immigration laws but also exploit vulnerable individuals for profit. This conviction sends a clear message: those who engage in human smuggling and harboring for financial benefit will be investigated, prosecuted and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. presided over the trial and set sentencing for Nov. 18. At that time, Baez-Lara and Avila-Guel face up to 10 years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine. The two are also facing the potential loss of their residency status.

ICE-HSI conducted the investigation.

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 Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.