Southern District of Texas

HOUSTON – In support of Operation Take Back America, the Southern District of Texas has filed another 210 cases in immigration and border security-related matters from July 11-17, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

The cases include 14 involving human smuggling. A total of 101 people are charged with illegally entering the country, while another 89 face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. Most of those individuals have prior felonies such as narcotics, violent crime, sexual assaults, immigration crimes and more. Other relevant cases charged this week relate to other immigration crimes and illegal fishing.

The criminal complaints include four men found in the Rio Grande Valley area after being removed already this year. The charges allege Humberto Alvarez-Chio, Irvin Gonzalez-Silva and Miguel Angel Reyes-Garcia have prior convictions for illegal reentry, human smuggling and sexual assault of a child, respectively. Juan Cruz-Montiel served a sentence for burglary before his removal July 11, but authorities found him again near Hidalgo just four days later, according to the allegations. All three men could face up to 20 years in federal prison, if convicted. 

In McAllen this week, Lyford resident Jose Rodriguez Jr. was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison for possessing images depicting the sexual abuse of prepubescent children. Law enforcement originally arrested Rodriguez in connection with an alien transporting event. At that time, they seized his phone and discovered over 250 images and videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). At the hearing, the court heard additional information detailing Rodriguez’s prior conviction of aggravated sexual assault of a child, which involved tying up his 9-year-old victim before attempting to sexually assault her and tying up an eight-year-old witness. The court also heard he downloaded CSAM files on 20 separate occasions, beginning only six months after he was released from his 13-year sentence for the aggravated sexual assault of a child conviction. The court noted the need to protect the public from Rodriguez’s crimes and highlighted that Rodriguez had a complete lack of remorse for his actions. He had previously received 16 months for human smuggling conviction. 

“Those who sexually assault children, possess child sexual abuse material, or smuggle human beings like some sort of commodity are all imbued with a common trait: total disdain for the inherent value and dignity of a human being. The defendant here had a history of doing all three,” said Ganjei. “Fortunately, SDTX prosecutors were successful in advocating for the maximum possible sentence in this case, that of 20 years, so Mr. Rodriguez will now have two decades to reflect on his conduct. I thank the jury for their time and attention in this important case.”

Euclides Vasquez-Hernandez faced a Corpus Christi federal jury for illegally reentering the United States. They heard that he had been removed in 2018, but authorities discovered him again March 7 in Robstown. Vasquez-Hernandez took the stand and ultimately admitted he reentered the country by crossing a river a few days after his removal. He now faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

A Laredo jury convicted a South Carolina woman of transporting illegal aliens. Sharon Thompkins was the passenger in a blue tractor trailer as it approached Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint 29 near Laredo. An x-ray scan revealed anomalies in the vehicle, and authorities found four illegal aliens sitting side-by-side on the bed in the sleeper compartment. She had instructed them to sit there and closed the curtains in order to conceal them. The defense attempted to convince the jury Thompkins was merely present and did not agree to illegally transport aliens. The jury did not believe those claims and found her guilty. She faces up to five years in federal prison.

Also of note was the sentencing of Sullivan City resident Carlos Alberto Salinas. He attempted to pick up 10 illegal aliens and approximately 100 kilograms of marijuana from the Rio Grande River. The court enhanced the sentence to 10 years after finding Salinas was responsible for smuggling over 75 aliens and fled to Mexico in an attempt to evade law enforcement. 

As part of the announcements this week was the sentencing of two Brownsville residents for smuggling three illegal aliens in the trunk of a vehicle. Ofelia Christine Monares and Michael Rosa received 40 and 25 months, respectively. Law enforcement discovered three Vietnamese nationals in the trunk of a Nissan Sentra, dehydrated and sweating profusely. Monares and Rosa received increases in their calculated sentencing guideline range for placing the life of the aliens in jeopardy.

Finally, a 47-year-old Mexican national was also sentenced for illegally reentering the United States for a fourth time. Arnulfo Olivares-Cervantes was first removed in 1999 and returned three other times. He has multiple felony convictions including attempted murder, narcotics trafficking and illegal reentry. Authorities discovered him again in Edinburg. He received a 46-month sentence. 

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, BP, 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.

HOUSTON – A 59-year-old Brenham resident has been charged in a criminal information for misappropriating thousands in federal grant funding, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Clifford Wayne Robertson is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard W. Bennett July 28 at 10 a.m.   

Robertson allegedly misappropriated federal grant funding awarded to Castle Cares Community Ministry Inc. dba The Warrior’s Refuge, a nonprofit organization serving as a veteran’s homeless shelter and service facility. The charges allege that during his tenure as CEO and executive director, Robertson submitted multiple applications for federal assistance to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Labor (DOL) between February and April 2020. The Warrior’s Refuge allegedly received approximately $1.3 million and $500,000 in VA and DOL grant funds, respectively, as a result of those applications.

The information alleges that Robertson did knowingly and intentionally embezzle a portion of the federal grants awarded to the organization for unallowable personal expenditures and for counseling services that he never rendered to veterans.

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 maximum possible fine.   

VA - Office of Inspector General (OIG) and DOL - OIG and Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shirin Hakimzadeh is prosecuting the case.

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

HOUSTON – A 36-year-old Houston resident has entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Velasquez-Nikki Saadia Porter admitted to conspiring to distribute nearly 200 grams of fentanyl from a motel room in the North Harris County area.

The investigation began in 2023 after authorities identified Porter as part of an operation targeting fentanyl distribution and overdoses in the Houston area. 

Porter operated a narcotics distribution point out of a local motel room where he served fentanyl to customers.

U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge will impose sentencing Oct. 2. At that time, Porter faces up to 40 years in prison and a maximum $5 million fine. 

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

The FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of Montgomery County Narcotics Enforcement Team. 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. Attorney Stuart Tallichet prosecuted the case.

McALLEN, Texas – A 28-year-old Sullivan City resident has been ordered to prison for alien and drug smuggling, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Carlos Alberto Salinas pleaded guilty Dec. 6, 2024.

U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now ordered Salinas to serve 120 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard that Salinas demonstrated a disregard for the law and was undeterred by the sentences imposed in his prior alien smuggling and felony drug convictions. The court enhanced the sentence after finding Salinas was responsible for smuggling over 75 aliens and fled to Mexico in an attempt to evade law enforcement.

On July 24, 2024, Salinas attempted to pick up 10 illegal aliens and approximately 100 kilograms of marijuana from the Rio Grande River in Sullivan City. Authorities initiated a quick response to the event, at which time Salinas and several aliens swam across the river to Mexico in an attempt to elude law enforcement.

Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin V. Walker 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 – Two 35-year-old Brownsville residents have been sentenced for smuggling three illegal aliens in the trunk of a vehicle, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Ofelia Christine Monares and Michael Rosa pleaded guilty April 1.

U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has imposed a 40-month term of imprisonment for Monares while Rosa received 25 months. Both must also serve one year of supervised release following their sentences.

Both received upward adjustments or increases in their calculated sentencing guideline range for placing the life of the aliens in jeopardy. Monares also received a sentencing enhancement for being a supervisor of the criminal activity.

At the time of their pleas, both Monares and Rosa admitted to knowingly smuggling three illegal aliens in the trunk of a Nissan Sentra.

On Feb. 24, law enforcement observed several suspected illegal aliens walking along a dirt road near the Rio Grande River. The group climbed into the trunk of a Nissan Sentra which then fled at a high rate of speed. Authorities stopped the vehicle at the Highway 4 checkpoint and found three Vietnamese nationals in the trunk. All appeared dehydrated and were sweating profusely.

Rosa was the driver. He said Victor Hugo Medrano-Medrano and Monares had recruited him, and that Medrano and Monares picked him up in a white Nissan Titan and drove him to the Sentra. Rosa said they were to pay him $10,000 to transport the aliens to a local convenience store in Brownsville.

Video surveillance revealed the Titan crossing the checkpoint shortly after Rosa’s arrest. Authorities later located the Titan at the convenience store with Monares driving and Medrano in the passenger seat. 

Monares said she was also to be paid - $500 - for every alien transported.

Medrano-Medrano, 38, Brownsville, has also pleaded guilty and is set for sentencing in September. He remains in custody.

Both Monares and Rosa have also have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined at a later date. 

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.

LAREDO, Texas – A 46-year-old Columbia, South Carolina, resident has been found guilty of transporting illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

The jury deliberated for over five hours before convicting Sharon Thompkins following a two-day trial late July 15.

On April 26, a blue tractor trailer approached Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint 29 near Laredo. Ralph Young was driving with Tompkins as passenger.

An x-ray examination revealed anomalies in the vehicle. Upon further inspection, authorities discovered four illegal aliens sitting side-by-side on the bed in the sleeper compartment.

The jury heard that Thompkins agreed to help transport aliens with Young. Testimony revealed Thompkins instructed the aliens to sit on the bed in the sleeper compartment and closed the curtains in order to conceal them.

The defense attempted to convince the jury Thompkins was merely present and did not agree to illegally transport aliens. The jury did not believe those claims and found Thomkins guilty.

U.S. District Judge John A Kazen presided over the trial and set sentencing for September. At that time, Thompkins faces up to five years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

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

Young, 62, Columbia, South Carolina, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and also remains in custody pending sentencing.

BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Manuel A. Cardenas Jr. and Tae Chon 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 – Three people are expected to appear in federal court on charges related to a conspiracy to commit murder for hire and related offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Michael Seery, 42, Katy, is set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Yvonne Ho July 24 at 2 p.m. Ricardo Obando Jr., 51, and Matthew Rosas, 24, both of Houston, are currently in state custody on related charges and expected to make their appearances in federal court also at that time.   

Seery was originally charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and remains in custody. A federal grand jury returned the seven-count superseding indictment July 15. According to the charges, the trio plotted the murder over the course of months and executed their plan in the early morning of Feb. 4. They allegedly shot the victim several times as he was traveling on his way to work.

He survived but sustained several injuries.  

If convicted of possession of a firearm silencer in furtherance of a crime of violence or discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, all face up to life in prison with mandatory minimum sentences of 30 and 10 years, respectively. All three are also charged with conspiracy to use interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder for hire and use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder for hire resulting in personal injury which carry up to 20 years in federal prison. Seery and Obando are charged with transfer and receipt of a firearm for use in a felony and face up to 10 years, while Seery is also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm which carries another 15-year-maximum sentence.

The FBI, Harris County Sheriff’s Office and Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation with the assistance of Harris County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hunter Brown 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.

McALLEN, Texas – A 47-year-old Mexican national with a felony criminal history has been sentenced for illegally entering the country without authorization, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei.

Arnulfo Olivares-Cervantes pleaded guilty April 23.  

U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now ordered Olivares-Cervantes to serve 46 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 Olivares-Cervantes had been previously convicted of multiple felony convictions including attempted murder. He had also previously received a lengthy sentence for the same offense. Not a U.S. citizen, he is again expected to face removal proceedings following the sentence.

Olivares-Cervantes has felony convictions for narcotics trafficking and illegal reentry. He was first removed in 1999 and returned unlawfully three other times.

Authorities discovered him again June 15, 2023, in Edinburg.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia 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.

McALLEN, Texas – A 26-year-old McAllen resident has been sentenced for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Narciso Dominguez III pleaded guilty March 27.

U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now ordered Dominguez to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court noted the significant amount of cocaine Dominguez trafficked and heard evidence linking him to a broader drug trafficking organization.

On May 23, 2024, Dominguez packaged 19 kilograms of cocaine for distribution, concealing the dangerous narcotics using simple shipping materials such as boxes and bubble wrap. Authorities later observed him purchasing the materials and surveilled stash houses in McAllen. He admitted he knew the packages contained narcotics.

Less than a week later, authorities pulled him over and discovered 43.35 kilograms of cocaine. A subsequent search of a McAllen residence led to the seizure of 229 additional kilograms. Dominguez later admitted to mailing about 100 kilograms a day of cocaine across the United States.

Dominguez 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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia prosecuted the case. 

McALLEN, Texas – A 44-year-old Lyford man has been ordered to prison for possessing images of sexual assaults of prepubescent children, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

The jury deliberated for approximately 15 minutes before finding Jose Rodriguez Jr. guilty after a one-day trial April 15.

U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton upwardly departed from the U.S. sentencing guidelines and imposed a 240-month sentence. At the hearing, the court heard additional information detailing Rodriguez’s prior conviction of aggravated sexual assault of a child. In handing down the prison term, the court noted Rodriguez’s conduct in that case, which involved tying up his nine-year-old victim before attempting to sexually assault her and tying up an eight-year-old witness, was a consideration for an upward departure. The court also heard Rodriguez downloaded child pornography files on 20 separate occasions, beginning only six months after he was released from his 13-year sentence for the aggravated sexual assault of a child conviction. The court noted the need to protect the public from Rodriguez’s crimes and highlighted that Rodriguez had a complete lack of remorse for his actions. 

Rodriguez was further ordered to pay restitution to known victims and will serve the rest of his life on supervised release following the 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. Rodriguez will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

“Those who sexually assault children, possess child sexual abuse material, or smuggle human beings like some sort of commodity, are all imbued with a common trait:  total disdain for the inherent value and dignity of a human being. The defendant here had a history of doing all three,” said Ganjei.  “Fortunately, SDTX prosecutors were successful in advocating for the maximum possible sentence in this case, that of 20 years, so Mr. Rodriguez will now have two decades to reflect on his conduct. I thank the jury for their time and attention in this important case.”

Law enforcement originally arrested Rodriguez Aug. 12, 2024, in connection with an alien transportation event. At that time, they seized his phone and discovered over 150 images and videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

During the trial, the jury heard testimony and evidence regarding the multiple images and videos of CSAM downloaded and stored on Rodriguez’s phone over multiple months. The evidence included numerous files depicting the sexual assaults of prepubescent children.

The defense attempted to convince the jury that a virus downloaded the CSAM onto his phone. However, evidence showed that Rodriguez had over 100 user accounts on the phone linked to him and that the CSAM was downloaded on 20 separate occasions from April through August of 2024.

The jury also heard from a computer forensic expert who rendered an opinion that the pattern of activity indicated intentional downloading.

Rodriguez was charged in a separate case for the human smuggling event and later pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison and two years of supervised release in that case.  

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 and Border Patrol conducted the investigation with assistance from Raymondville Police Department and Willacy County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Devin Walker and Jose Garcia 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.

McALLEN, Texas – A 51-year-old Houston man has been ordered to federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Daniel Rodriguez Martinez pleaded guilty May 1.

Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Martinez to serve 54 months in prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that detailed how Martinez directly benefited from the scheme by personally receiving $1.4 million and that he played an integral role by creating a fraudulent company to conceal payments.

From March 2021 to May 2024, Martinez and others ran the scheme by creating a fake utility company to conceal profits. They used stolen personal information, including Social Security numbers, to open electricity accounts with real providers. The stolen identities were linked to actual service addresses, allowing customers to receive power while the billing responsibility fell on unsuspecting victims.

When providers shut off service for nonpayment, the group reopened accounts under new fake identities. In exchange for uninterrupted electricity, customers paid a flat fee of $80 per month to the fraudulent company. The operation allowed participants to avoid legitimate charges while the organizers profited from the deception.

Martinez admitted to creating a fake electricity services company solely to conceal the theft scheme. He received payments from clients through peer-to-peer apps such as CashApp and Zelle, then transferred the funds into a business account to mask their origin.

As a part of his plea, he agreed to forfeit $456,859.76 in U.S. currency as well as his interest in multiple properties.

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

The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia prosecuted the case. 

HOUSTON – A total of 236 new cases have been filed in immigration and border security-related matters from July 3-10, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Among those are 106 people who face charges of illegally reentering the country. The majority have prior felony convictions for narcotics, violent crimes, prior immigration crimes and more. A total of 116 people are charged with illegally entering the country, while six cases allege various instances of human smuggling with the remainder involving other immigration related crimes.

Two of those charged include Mexican nationals Charlie Ruben Ortiz-Lopez and Mauricio Rivera-Medina. According to their criminal complaints, both have prior convictions for illegal reentry. Rivera-Medina was last removed just last month, but authorities allegedly found him again illegally in the United States near Mission. They encountered Rivera-Medina near Edinburg after he had been previously removed in November 2023, according to his charges.

Another man facing charges this week is Honduran national Jose Eduardo Escobar-Reyes, who law enforcement allegedly discovered unlawfully in the United States near Roma. According to court documents, he was previously removed March 12 and has a prior conviction for conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

If convicted, all three face up to 20 years in prison.

In addition to the new cases, a Rio Grande City man was ordered to prison for 24 months for unlawfully transporting an illegal alien. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Jason Al Venecia took his girlfriend and her minor daughter with him to smuggle the illegal alien to facilitate passage through the Falfurrias Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint. While on bond awaiting sentencing, Al Venecia was also caught assisting his girlfriend during her own attempt to smuggle illegal aliens. She has since pleaded guilty to separate charges in her case prosecuted in the McAllen Division.

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, BP, 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.

McALLEN, Texas – A 39-year-old Mexican national illegally residing in Mission has been arrested on charges related to illegally hiring, employing and harboring more than a dozen people with no authority to be in the country, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Authorities took Juan Ramirez Cortez into custody during an enforcement action July 10. He has made his initial appearance and is scheduled for a preliminary and detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Juan F. Alanis at 3 p.m. July 15. He remains in custody pending that hearing.

The charges allege Cortez was the manager at Ole Taco in Mission. In that role, Cortez is allegedly responsible for hiring and firing of employees, filling out employment paperwork and checking the immigration documents of employees. The criminal complaint alleges he hired at least 10 illegal aliens.   

As part of the enforcement action, authorities also arrested 17 other individuals, all determined to be illegal aliens with no authority to be in the United States.

If convicted, he faces up to five years in federal prison.  

FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Drug Enforcement Administration and Texas Department of Public Safety.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Storey Lyles is prosecuting the case.

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 52-year-old year-old resident of Kansas City, Missouri, has been charged with multiple counts related to a conspiracy to commit arson against a property used in interstate or foreign commerce resulting in death, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Authorities arrested Mario Raynard Roberson in the Houston area. He is now making his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray.

A federal grand jury in Houston returned the 12-count indictment July 1. It alleges Roberson was responsible for a Huntsville house fire June 14, 2023, which killed two people.

According to the charges, Roberson held a State Farm Insurance policy on the home and recruited others to set it on fire to file a fraudulent insurance claim. The indictment alleges the two individuals died while igniting the blaze at Roberson’s residence.

“The defendant is alleged to have orchestrated a scheme to collect an insurance payout through a purported racially-motivated arson, which led to two deaths,” said Ganjei. “Now that he is in federal custody he will answer these charges, and, if found guilty, be held accountable for the death of these two men.”

Roberson is charged with conspiracy to commit arson against a property used in interstate or foreign commerce resulting in death which carries a possible life sentence, if convicted.

He is also facing nine counts of wire fraud for attempting to defraud the insurance company; conspiracy to violate the Travel Act related to the use of an interstate facility, the telephone, to commit arson; and with conspiracy to commit arson in connection with a federal felony offense. Each of those charges have varying possible prison terms up to a maximum of 20 years. He could also be ordered to pay a $250,000 fine.   

FBI – Bryan Resident Agency conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly Zenón-Matos, Byron Black and Alexander Alum are prosecuting this case.

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

McALLEN, Texas – A 57-year-old Mission resident has pleaded guilty to mail fraud and diverting company funds for her own benefit, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Elizabeth Batten was the director of financing at McCreery Aviation in the Rio Grande Valley from 2019 to 2023. As part of her plea, she admitted that during her tenure, she diverted company funds to pay for her personal expenses. She used signed blank company checks, intended for legitimate business purposes, to settle her personal credit card accounts.

She also used the U.S. Postal Service to conceal her behavior and actions by mailing her fraudulent payments to multiple credit card companies in different states.

The investigation into Batten began after a McCreery Aviation employee noticed irregularities in the handling of company checks in late 2023.

It revealed she had fraudulently diverted a total of $1.2 million as part of her scheme.

U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton will impose sentencing Oct. 7. At that time, Batten faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

As a part of the plea, Batten agreed to pay $1.191 million in restitution to McCreery Aviation.

She was permitted to remain on bond pending her sentencing hearing.

The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia prosecuted the case. 

HOUSTON – A 58-year-old Houston resident has entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

From March 2022 through December 2024, Jesus Carlos Silva pretended to be an immigration attorney affiliated with a Houston-based law firm. He made false promises that he could help people obtain U.S. citizenship and/or other legal immigration status. Silva charged thousands of dollars per person for his “assistance,” collecting payments through checks and money orders. He never provided legitimate immigration help and instead offered excuses for delays before ultimately cutting off communication.

Silva instructed several individuals to travel to Houston for fake appointments with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. When they arrived, there were no appointments. He admitted to stealing more than $1,450,555 from over 100 people, most of whom lived in Houston and Chicago. Others were from Texas, Illinois, Louisiana and Florida.

U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks will impose sentencing Sept. 22. At that time, Silva faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine or a fine of twice the gross gain or twice the gross loss that resulted from the offense.

Silva was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.

The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service and Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Gray and Rodolfo Ramirez are prosecuting the case.  

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 38-year-old Georgia woman has been sentenced today for smuggling several firearms and magazines hidden in a vehicle’s gas tank, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Mirna Luna pleaded guilty April 1.

U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. has now handed Luna a 46-month term of imprisonment to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the seriousness 0f trafficking of firearms.

Luna traveled from her Canton, Georgia, residence Dec. 15, 2024, and attempted to cross at the Brownsville/Matamoros  port of entry into Mexico.

Once there, authorities had referred her to secondary inspection where they discovered 17 firearms and 27 magazines hidden in the gas tank of the Nissan car she was driving.

Luna claimed ownership of the car and admitted she is the only person who drives it. She does not have a license to export firearms and has not applied for one.

She 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 Jose Esquivel and Ana Cano prosecuted the case. 

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 42-year-old resident of Rio Grande City has been ordered to federal prison for unlawfully transporting an illegal alien, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Jason Al Venecia pleaded guilty March 26.

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Venecia to serve 24 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Venecia took his girlfriend and her minor daughter with him to smuggle the illegal alien to facilitate passage through the checkpoint.

On Jan. 2, Venecia approached the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint in a Cadillac SRX. Authorities noticed two adult males in the front and an adult and minor female in the backseat. During initial inspection, the front male passenger admitted to being in the United States illegally.

He was from Mexico with no authority to be in the United States.

Law enforcement found multiple proof of life videos in Venecia’s cell phone from illegal aliens after they had crossed the Rio Grande River. There were text messages telling Venecia he would be paid $1,250 when the illegal aliens made it to their next destination.

While on bond awaiting sentencing, Venecia was caught assisting his girlfriend during her own attempt to smuggle illegal aliens further into the United States. His bond was subsequently revoked and ordered into custody where he will remain pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Venecia’s girlfriend has since pleaded guilty to her separate case prosecuted in the McAllen Division.

Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Pruitt 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.

The Justice Department announced today that Xu Zewei (徐泽伟), 33, of the People’s Republic of China was arrested on July 3 in Italy at the request of the United States. Xu and his co-defendant, PRC national Zhang Yu (张宇), 44, are charged in a nine-count indictment, unsealed today in the Southern District of Texas, for their involvement in computer intrusions between February 2020 and June 2021, including the indiscriminate HAFNIUM computer intrusion campaign that compromised thousands of computers worldwide, including in the United States. Xu was arrested in Milan, Italy, and will face extradition proceedings.

According to court documents, officers of the PRC’s Ministry of State Security’s (MSS) Shanghai State Security Bureau (SSSB) directed Xu to conduct this hacking. The MSS and SSSB are PRC intelligence services responsible for PRC’s domestic counterintelligence, non-military foreign intelligence, and aspects of the PRC’s political and domestic security. When conducting the computer intrusions, Xu worked for a company named Shanghai Powerock Network Co. Ltd. (Powerock). Powerock was one of many “enabling” companies in the PRC that conducted hacking for the PRC government.

“This arrest underscores the United States’ patient and tireless commitment to pursuing hackers who seek to steal information belonging to U.S. companies and universities,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division. “The Justice Department will find you and hold you accountable for threatening our cybersecurity and harming our people and institutions.”

“The indictment alleges that Xu was hacking and stealing crucial COVID-19 research at the behest of the Chinese government while that same government was simultaneously withholding information about the virus and its origins,” said Nicholas Ganjei, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas. “The Southern District of Texas has been waiting years to bring Xu to justice and that day is nearly at hand. As this case shows, even if it takes years, we will track hackers down and make them answer for their crimes. The United States does not forget.”

“In February 2020, as the world entered a pandemic, Xu Zewei and other cyber actors working on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) targeted American universities to steal groundbreaking COVID-19 research. The following year, these same actors, operating as a group publicly known as HAFNIUM, exploited zero-day vulnerabilities in U.S. systems to steal additional research,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of FBI’s Cyber Division. “Through HAFNIUM, the CCP targeted over 60,000 U.S. entities, successfully victimizing more than 12,700 in order to steal sensitive information. This arrest, carried out with our Italian law enforcement partners, demonstrates the FBI’s relentless commitment to holding CCP-sponsored hackers accountable for their crimes.” 

According to court documents, in early 2020, Xu and his co-conspirators hacked and otherwise targeted U.S.-based universities, immunologists, and virologists conducting research into COVID‑19 vaccines, treatment, and testing. Xu and others reported their activities to officers in the SSSB who were supervising and directing the hacking activities. For example, on or about Feb. 19, 2020, Xu provided an SSSB officer with confirmation that he had compromised the network of a research university located in the Southern District of Texas. On or about Feb. 22, 2020, the SSSB officer directed Xu to target and access specific email accounts (mailboxes) belonging to virologists and immunologists engaged in COVID-19 research for the university. Xu later confirmed for the SSSB officer that he acquired the contents of the researchers’ mailboxes.

Beginning in late 2020, Xu and his co-conspirators exploited certain vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server, a widely-used Microsoft product for sending, receiving, and storing email messages. Their exploitation of Microsoft Exchange Server was at the forefront of a massive campaign targeting thousands of computers worldwide and known publicly as “HAFNIUM.” In March 2021, Microsoft publicly disclosed the intrusion campaign by state-sponsored hackers operating out of China. Throughout March 2021, Microsoft and other industry partners released detection tools, patches, and other information to assist victim entities in identifying and mitigating this cyber incident. Additionally, the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released a Joint Advisory on Compromise of Microsoft Exchange Server on March 10, 2021. However, by the end of March 2021, hundreds of web shells remained on certain U.S.-based computers running Microsoft Exchange Server software. In April 2021, the Justice Department announced a court-authorized operation to remediate hundreds of computers in the United States made vulnerable by HAFNIUM actors. In July 2021, the United States and foreign partners attributed the HAFNIUM campaign to the PRC’s MSS.

Among the victims of Xu’s exploitation of Microsoft Exchange Server were another university located in the Southern District of Texas and a law firm with offices worldwide, including in Washington, D.C. After exploiting computers running Microsoft Exchange Server, Xu and his co-conspirators installed web shells on them to enable their remote administration. These web shells were specific to HAFNIUM actors at the time. As with the earlier COVID-19 research intrusions, Xu and Zhang worked together on the HAFNIUM intrusions, under the supervision and direction of SSSB officers. For example, on or about Jan. 30, 2021, Xu confirmed to Zhang that he had compromised the other university’s network. Later, on or about Feb. 28, 2021, Xu updated a SSSB officer on his successful intrusions. This SSSB officer then directed Xu to obtain a list of other, successful intrusions from a second SSSB officer. Unauthorized access to the law firm’s network allowed Xu and his co-conspirators to steal information from mailboxes and search them for information regarding specific U.S. policy makers and government agencies. Their search terms included “Chinese sources,” “MSS,” and “HongKong.”

The announcement of charges against Xu is the latest describing the PRC’s use of an extensive network of private companies and contractors in China to hack and steal information in a manner that obscured the PRC government’s involvement. Operating from their safe haven and motivated by profit, this network of private companies and contractors in China cast a wide net to identify vulnerable computers, exploit those computers, and then identify information that it could sell directly or indirectly to the PRC government. This largely indiscriminate approach results in more victims in the United States and elsewhere, more systems worldwide left vulnerable to future exploitation by third parties, and more stolen information, often of no interest to the PRC government and, therefore, sold to other third parties.

Xu is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two counts of wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count; conspiracy to cause damage to and obtain information by unauthorized access to protected computers, to commit wire fraud, and to commit identity theft, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison; two counts of obtaining information by unauthorized access to protected computers, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison; two counts of intentional damage to a protected computer, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; and aggravated identity theft, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison. Zhang Yu, remains at large. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).

The FBI’s Houston Field Office is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark McIntyre and John Marck for the Southern District of Texas and Deputy Chief Matthew Anzaldi of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs is handling the extradition.

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

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 47 year-old Harlingen man has been sentenced for possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Rico Deangelo Longoria pleaded guilty April 1.

U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. considered information in several victim impact statements and ordered Longoria to serve 121 months in federal prison. He was further ordered to serve 15 years of supervised release following the 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. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. Additionally, he was ordered to pay $60,500 in restitution to the victims of the offense.

During the sentencing, the court emphasized the seriousness of the offense. Judge Rodriguez read excerpts from victim impact statements indicating documented abuse in the material found in Longoria’s possession which highlighted enduring trauma and lifelong consequences inflicted on them. The court noted the mere possession and viewing of such material perpetuates their suffering.

“Viewing or possessing child pornography is not some private, harmless activity,” said Ganjei. “The minor victims are repeatedly traumatized by the dissemination and viewing of the recording of the most horrific moments of their lives. This sentence sends a message that this conduct will be met forcefully in the Southern District of Texas.”

Authorities had discovered a computer associated with a specific IP address in Harlingen engaging in downloading and distributing of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). In February, they executed a federal search warrant of his residence and located a phone hidden inside the water tank of a toilet.

Forensic analysis resulted in the discovery of 337 images and 47 videos of CSAM. The files included images of prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Longoria will continue in custody following the sentencing where he will remain pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

FBI conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana C. Cano 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. 

HOUSTON – A 33-year-old Chinese national has been taken into custody for his alleged involvement in U.S. computer intrusions between February 2020 and June 2021, including the reckless and indiscriminate HAFNIUM campaign that compromised thousands of computers worldwide.

Authorities took People's Republic of China (PRC) national Xu Zewei (徐泽伟) into custody in Milan, Italy, as he departed a plane from China at the request of the United States.

Xu is charged along with PRC national Zhang Yu (张宇), 44, in a now unsealed nine-count indictment returned in November 2023. They were both involved in computer intrusions between February 2020 and June 2021 at the direction of officers of the PRC’s Ministry of State Security’s (MSS) Shanghai State Security Bureau (SSSB), according to the indictment.  

The charges allege MSS and SSSB are PRC intelligence services responsible for PRC's domestic counterintelligence, non-military foreign intelligence and aspects of the PRC's political and domestic security. When conducting the computer intrusions, Xu worked for Shanghai Powerock Network Co. Ltd., one of many “enabling” companies in the PRC that conducted hacking for the PRC government, according to the charges. 

“The indictment alleges that Xu was hacking and stealing crucial COVID-19 research at the behest of the Chinese government while that same government was simultaneously withholding information about the virus and its origins,” said Nicholas Ganjei, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas. “The Southern District of Texas has been waiting years to bring Xu to justice and that day is nearly at hand. As this case shows, even if it takes years, we will track hackers down and make them answer for their crimes. The United States does not forget.”

“This arrest underscores the United States’ patient and tireless commitment to pursuing hackers who seek to steal information belonging to U.S. companies and universities,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division. “The Justice Department will find you and hold you accountable for threatening our cybersecurity and harming our people and institutions.”

“While the world was reeling from a virus that originated in China, the Chinese government plotted to steal U.S. research critical to vaccine development,” said FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams. “Xu Zewei, an alleged hacker acting on behalf of China's primary spy agency, targeted COVID-19 data using sophisticated cyber techniques and tradecraft. His landmark arrest by FBI Houston agents in Italy proves that we will scour the ends of the Earth to hold criminal foreign adversaries accountable.”

According to court documents, in early 2020, Xu and his co-conspirators hacked and otherwise targeted U.S. based universities and leading immunologists and virologists conducting ground-breaking research into COVID-19 vaccines, treatment and testing. The charges allege Xu and others reported their activities to officers in the SSSB who were supervising and directing the hacking activities. For example, on or about Feb. 19, 2020, Xu allegedly provided an SSSB officer with confirmation that he had compromised the network of a research university located in SDTX. On or about Feb. 22, 2020, the SSSB officer directed Xu to target and access specific email accounts (mailboxes) belonging to virologists and immunologists engaged in COVID-19 research for the research university, according to the allegations. Xu later allegedly confirmed for the SSSB officer he acquired the contents of the researchers’ mailboxes.

Beginning in late 2020, Xu and his co-conspirators exploited certain vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server, a widely used Microsoft product for sending, receiving and storing email messages, according to the charges. Their exploitation of Microsoft Exchange Server was allegedly at the forefront of a massive campaign targeting thousands of computers worldwide and known publicly as “HAFNIUM.”

In March 2021, Microsoft publicly disclosed the intrusion campaign by state-sponsored hackers operating out of China. In July 2021, the United States and foreign partners attributed the HAFNIUM campaign to the PRC’s MSS, which they and private sector cybersecurity leaders condemned as “indiscriminate,” “reckless,” “irresponsible” and “destabilizing.”

The charges allege victims of Xu’s exploitation of Microsoft Exchange Server were a university located in the Southern District of Texas and a law firm with offices worldwide, including in Washington, D.C. After exploiting computers running Microsoft Exchange Server, Xu and his co-conspirators allegedly installed web shells on them to enable their remote administration. According to the indictment, these web shells were specific to HAFNIUM actors at the time. As with the earlier COVID-19 research intrusions, Xu and Zhang allegedly worked together on the HAFNIUM intrusions under the supervision and direction of SSSB officers. For example, on or about Jan. 30, 2021, Xu confirmed to Zhang that he had compromised the university’s network, according to the charges, and on or about Feb. 28, 2021, updated an SSSB officer on his successful intrusions. This SSSB officer then directed Xu to obtain a list of other, successful intrusions from a second SSSB officer, according to the allegations. The charges allege unauthorized access to the law firm’s network allowed Xu and his co-conspirators to steal information from mailboxes and search them for information regarding specific U.S. policy makers and government agencies. Their search terms allegedly included “Chinese sources,” “MSS” and “HongKong.”

The announcement of charges against Xu is the latest describing the PRC’s use of an extensive network of private companies and contractors in China to hack and steal information in a manner that obscured the PRC government’s involvement.  Operating from their safe haven and motivated by profit, this network of private companies and contractors in China allegedly cast a wide net to identify vulnerable computers, exploit those computers, and then identify information that it could sell directly or indirectly to the PRC government. This largely indiscriminate approach can result in more victims in the United States and elsewhere, more systems worldwide left vulnerable to future exploitation by third parties, and more stolen information, often of no interest to the PRC government and, therefore, sold to other third-parties.

In April 2021, the Justice Department announced a court-authorized operation to remediate hundreds of computers in the United States left vulnerable by HAFNIUM actors.

Xu is charged with two counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to do which all carry possible prison terms of up to 20 years in federal prison. The indictment also includes conspiracy to cause damage to and obtain information by unauthorized access to protected computers, to commit wire fraud and to committing identity theft as well as two counts of obtaining information by unauthorized access to protected computers. If convicted on any of those charges, he could receive up to five years, while intentional damage to a protected computer carries a maximum 10-year-possible sentence on either of two counts as charged. For the aggravated identity theft, he could receive another two years which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed. All convictions would also have the potential of up to $250,000 as a possible fine.

Zhang remains at large. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).

The FBI’s Houston Field Office is conducting the investigation.   

SDTX Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Mark McIntyre and John Marck and Deputy Chief Matthew Anzaldi of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section are 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 total of 95 cases have been filed from June 27-July 2 on immigration matters and related efforts to secure the southern border in support of Operation Take Back America, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

A total of 62 people are charged with illegally entering the country, while another 26 face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. Most of those individuals have prior felonies such as narcotics, violent crime, immigration crimes and more. Other relevant cases charged this week relate to human smuggling and other immigration crimes, drug trafficking and firearms.

Among the notable cases are charges against 16 foreign nationals illegally residing in Houston for drug trafficking and weapons allegations following an operation targeting Venezuelan nationals linked to the Anti-Tren criminal organization. Similar to the criminal activities members of Tren de Aragua have committed, Anti-Tren affiliates allegedly engaged in attempted murder, other acts of violence and threats of such. Some members have been charged with conspiring to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and various weapons crimes, with one allegedly being an alien in possession of ammunition.  

“The Southern District’s twin priorities are securing our border and the eradication of violent crime. This case implicates both,” said Ganjei. “Operation Take Back America means going on the offensive against transnational criminal organizations to ensure that they cannot take root in our community and endanger public safety. SDTX is going to be unapologetic in carrying out that mission.”

New criminal complaints filed this week include the illegal reentry of several Mexican nationals after recent removals, including Cesar Alejandro Tovar-Guillen, a convicted felon for cocaine distribution. He had just been removed in March, but authorities discovered him unlawfully in the United States near Alton, according to the allegations. Charges allege Osvaldo Aguilar-Aguilar and Jose Alejandro Dominguez-Guzman had last been removed in October and November 2024, respectively. They both have previous convictions of illegal reentry and had served time in federal prison, according to their criminal complaints. While Juan Esquivel-Garcia allegedly has a previous conviction for trafficking methamphetamine and was previously sentenced to 75 months before his removal. They all face up to 20 years in federal prison, upon conviction.  

In McAllen, Margarito Llanes was sentenced to 52 months in federal prison for alien smuggling. He led law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit ending when Llanes crashed into a tree seriously injuring all eight passengers. The pursuit lasted 1.5 miles with speeds reaching up to 70 mph. At the hearing, the court heard about his violent criminal conduct, which includes indecency with a child, robbery and alien smuggling.

Two Mexican nationals received multi-year sentences for illegally reentering the United States. Luis Ernesto Hernandez-Doria was ordered to serve 51 months, while Jose Angel Lopez-Herrera received a 46-month-term of imprisonment. At the Lopez-Herrera hearing, the court heard additional evidence regarding his criminal history, which included not only having reentered the country in 2022 but a human smuggling case in which one had drowned. In handing down Hernandez-Doria’s sentence, the court noted he needed a substantial sentence to deter him from illegally reentering again. He had three prior felony convictions for illegal reentry as well as a felony conviction for taking a weapon from an officer. His most recent removal was in July 2024. 

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.

McALLEN, Texas – A 25-year-old former resident of Donna has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Carlos Chacon admitted he provided narcotics to Mexican citizen Sergio Ivan Beas Rivera in May 2024.

Authorities had witnessed the transaction and conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle Rivera was driving. They discovered 31 cellphone wrapped bundles which weighed approximately 34 kilograms and tested positive for cocaine.

The drugs have an estimated street value of approximately $2 million.

Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane will impose sentencing Sept. 16. At that time, Chacon faces up to life in federal prison and a possible $10 million maximum fine.

He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.

Beas Rivera, 42, previously pleaded guilty for his role, admitting he knew he was in possession of the narcotics and intended to distribute them. He is set for sentencing Aug. 13 before U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton. He remains in custody.

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Hidalgo County Constables Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia is prosecuting the case. 

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 35-year-old resident of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, has been sentenced to federal prison following his conviction of possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Apolonio Sanchez-Martinez pleaded guilty Sept. 18, 2024.

U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera considered information from victim impact statements and ordered Sanchez-Martinez to serve a 97-month-term of imprisonment. He was further ordered to pay $160,000 in restitution to known victims and will serve 15 years on supervised release to be served following the 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. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. 

On Aug. 12, 2023, Sanchez-Martinez attempted to enter the United States through the Brownsville Gateway Port of Entry. Authorities referred him to secondary inspection where they located a cell phone. Forensic analysis of the device resulted in the discovery of 1,405 videos and 152 images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

“There is zero tolerance for child sex abuse material in the United States, and those that attempt to bring CSAM into our country are going to face long prison stays,” said Ganjei. “The Southern District of Texas will do everything we can to not only apprehend and punish producers of such images and videos, but also the consumers of such material—like the defendant here—who provide a market for the creation of CSAM.”

Sanchez-Martinez 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 Ana C. Cano 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 – A 54-year-old man from Matamoros, Mexico, has been ordered to federal prison for illegally reentering the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Luis Ernesto Hernandez-Doria pleaded guilty April 9.

U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has now ordered him to serve 51 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 about Hernandez-Doria’s lengthy criminal record, including four prior felony and six misdemeanor convictions. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Hernandez-Doria needed a substantial sentence to deter him from illegally reentering again.

Hernandez-Doria had three previous felony convictions for illegal reentry as well as for taking a weapon from an officer.

He was first removed in November 2016 and illegally returned three times. Authorities discovered him again Oct. 12, 2024, in Brownsville.

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

Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luis Salazar 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.

HOUSTON – Four people are now in custody on allegations they exchanged money to lift immigration detainers on individuals held in custody, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Houston residents Leopoldo Perrault Benitez, 53, Anthony Benitez, 32, Isaac Sierra, 51, and Jose Angel Muniz, 51, La Porte, made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray, at which time the indictment was unsealed. They were ordered into custody pending further criminal proceedings. 

A federal grand jury returned the indictment June 24. It alleges Leopoldo Benitez was the owner of A Way Out Bail Bonds in Houston. His son - Anthony Benitez - was an employee, while Sierra worked at International Bonding Company, according to the charges. Muniz was allegedly a deportation officer with Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO).

Between April 2023 and March 2024, the charges allege the three bail bondsmen paid Muniz to lift immigration detainers on illegal aliens in ICE custody awaiting removal.

“The Southern District of Texas takes allegations of corruption by federal officers extremely seriously, particularly those entrusted with keeping our border secure and nation safe,” said Ganjei. “There is no room whatsoever for bribery or side deals when it comes to immigration enforcement.”

If convicted, all four face up to 15 years in prison and a fine equal to the equivalent value of the bribes offered and received or $250,000, whichever is greater.   

ICE - Office of Professional Responsibility, FBI and Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard D. Hanes 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.

McALLEN, Texas – Three Texas residents have been sentenced in connection with a long-running and violent conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante forwarding agency industry in the Los Indios border region, located near Harlingen and Brownsville, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

They and others controlled the transmigrate industry through fear, monopolization and extortion of competitors and laundered proceeds from the conspiracies. 

Pedro Antonio Calvillo Hernandez, 50, McAllen, and Mireya Miranda, 59, San Antonio, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to illegally fix prices and allocate the market for transmigrante forwarding agency services and conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante market. Hernandez also admitted to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion and received 37 months, while Miranda was ordered to serve 10 months on home detention. Jose de Jesus Tapia Fernandez, 47, Brownsville, was sentenced to 31 months in prison after pleading guilty to a money laundering conspiracy through which extortion proceeds were laundered.

Hernandez and Miranda must also pay a $75,000 fine, while Fernandez was ordered to pay $50,000. Restitution will be determined at a later date.

“Price fixing is an attempt to distort the market in favor of the fixer and to the detriment of basically everyone else. Although such market manipulation is bad enough, it is even worse when brought about through threats and violence,” said Ganjei. “The Southern District of Texas will work tirelessly to prosecute such criminal syndicates and to ensure markets along the Texas-Mexico border remain free, fair, and open.”

“The danger and the harm to the American people by the use of violence and extortion to fix prices and monopolize the market for an essential service in the Texas border region cannot be understated,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Today’s sentences demonstrate the Antitrust Division’s commitment to pursuing incarceration for both white-collar and violent criminals who seek to exploit America’s free markets.”

“The FBI remains committed to combatting the use of threats, violence and corrupt business practices such as price-fixing that harm honest business owners and undermine fair competition,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office. “Together with our law enforcement partners, we will leverage each other’s expertise and capabilities to dismantle every facet of transnational criminal organizations.”

“These sentencings reaffirm our unwavering commitment to safeguarding economic integrity at our nation’s borders,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) San Antonio. “By dismantling an enterprise that thrived on extortion and price fixing, we are ensuring that honest businesses can compete on a level playing field. This case exemplifies how corruption in niche industries can have far-reaching effects, and HSI will continue to pursue those who abuse the system for profit.”

Transmigrantes transport used vehicles and goods from the United States through Mexico for resale in Central America. Only a few U.S. border crossings, including the Los Indios Bridge, allow transmigrantes to enter Mexico.

Transmigrante forwarding agencies are U.S.-based businesses that help clients complete customs paperwork to export vehicles into Mexico. Co-conspirators fixed prices for forwarding services and created a centralized entity, known as the “pool,” to collect and divide revenue among conspirators. They used the pool to eliminate competition and raise prices.

Some also conspired to force forwarding agencies to pay money to the pool and to pay other extortion fees including a “piso” for every transaction processed in the industry as well as a fine for operating in the market outside of rules. The conspirators perpetrated acts of intimidation, coercion and violence in furtherance of the antitrust and extortion conspiracies.

To date, five others have been convicted, four of whom have already been sentenced in the case, including the leader - Carlos Martinez, 39, McAllen, who received an 11-year prison term.

Three others - Rigoberto Brown, Miguel Hipolito Caballero Aupart and Diego Ceballos-Soto were also charged in the superseding indictment and remain fugitives. Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.

The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS), U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, ICE-HSI and FBI conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander L. Alum prosecuted the case along with Trial Attorneys Anne Veldhuis, Brittany E. McClure and Michael G. Lepage and Senior Litigation Counsel John Davis of the Antitrust Division and VCRS Trial Attorney Christina Taylor. 

Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.

The U.S. Department of Justice today announced that three additional defendants were sentenced in connection with a long-running and violent conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante forwarding agency industry in the Los Indios, Texas, border region, located near Harlingen and Brownsville, Texas. The defendants controlled the transmigrate industry through fear, monopolization, and extortion of competitors, and laundered proceeds from the conspiracies.

Pedro Antonio Calvillo Hernandez, age 50 of McAllen, Texas, was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $50,000 fine after pleading guilty to conspiracy to illegally fix prices and allocate the market for transmigrante forwarding agency services, conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante market, and conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion.

Jose de Jesus Tapia Fernandez, age 47 of Brownsville, Texas was sentenced to time served, or 31 months in prison, and a three-year term of supervised release after pleading guilty to a money laundering conspiracy through which extortion proceeds were laundered.

Mireya Miranda, age 59 of San Antonio, Texas, was sentenced to 10 months of home detention, and a $75,000 fine after pleading guilty to conspiracy to illegally fix prices and allocate the market for transmigrante forwarding agency services; and conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante market.

“The danger and the harm to the American people by the use of violence and extortion to fix prices and monopolize the market for an essential service in the Texas border region cannot be understated,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Today’s sentences demonstrate the Antitrust Division’s commitment to pursuing incarceration for both white-collar and violent criminals who seek to exploit America’s free markets.”

“Price fixing is an attempt to distort the market in favor of the fixer and to the detriment of basically everyone else. Although such market manipulation is bad enough, it is even worse when brought about through threats and violence,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas. “The Southern District of Texas will work tirelessly to prosecute such criminal syndicates and to ensure markets along the Texas-Mexico border remain free, fair, and open.”

“The FBI is proud of the hard work and collaboration with partners that led to today’s sentencing,” said Assistant Director Joe Perez of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “We remain absolutely committed to thwarting criminal enterprises that function without regard for the rule of law and whose practices of market manipulation include the use of violence and intimidation.”

“These sentencings reaffirm our unwavering commitment to safeguarding economic integrity at our nation’s borders,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio. “By dismantling an enterprise that thrived on extortion and price fixing, we are ensuring that honest businesses can compete on a level playing field. This case exemplifies how corruption in niche industries can have far-reaching effects, and HSI will continue to pursue those who abuse the system for profit.”

Transmigrantes transport used vehicles and other goods from the United States through Mexico for resale in Central America. There are only a few locations where transmigrantes can legally cross from the United States into Mexico, one of those being the Los Indios Bridge in Texas. Transmigrante forwarding agencies are U.S.-based businesses that provide services to transmigrante clients, including helping those clients complete the customs paperwork required to export vehicles into Mexico.  

According to court documents and statements made in court, the co-defendants fixed prices for transmigrante forwarding agency services and created a centralized entity known as the “Pool” to collect and divide revenues among the conspirators, limit competition from other agencies, and increase prices for their services. Some co-defendants also conspired to force forwarding agencies to pay money to the Pool and to pay other extortion fees, including a “piso” for every transaction processed in the industry as well as a “fine” for operating in the market outside of Pool rules. The conspirators perpetrated acts of intimidation, coercion, and violence in furtherance of the antitrust and extortion conspiracies.  Co-defendants Carlos Martinez and Tapia also conspired to launder the extortion proceeds. 

Calvillo, Tapia, and Miranda must also pay restitution to the victims of the conspiracies. The Court will determine the final restitution amount owed to victims of the conspiracies at a hearing set for Sept. 3.   

Four co-defendants have previously been sentenced in this case. One other co-defendant has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. Three other defendants, Rigoberto Brown, Miguel Hipolito Caballero Aupart, and Diego Ceballos-Soto were also charged in the superseding indictment and remain fugitives. Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit  www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.

The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. 

Trial Attorneys Anne Veldhuis, Brittany E. McClure, and Michael G. Lepage and Senior Litigation Counsel John Davis of the Antitrust Division; Trial Attorney Christina Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS); and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander L. Alum for the Southern District of Texas prosecuted the case. 

Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations. 

McALLEN, Texas – A 37-year-old Alamo resident has been ordered to federal prison for transporting illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Margarito Llanes pleaded guilty April 22.

U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Llanes to serve 52 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about the risk Llanes created by engaging in a lengthy, high-speed pursuit and how his conduct was consistent with his violent criminal conduct, which includes indecency with a child, robbery and alien smuggling. In handing down the sentence Judge Crane also emphasized the seriousness of Llanes’ conduct and how everyone is lucky the outcome wasn’t more dire.  

On Jan. 18, a group of illegal aliens loaded into a vehicle near the Rio Grande River in Granjeno. Llanes was driving. As law enforcement approached, he sped away and engaged in a 1.5-mile pursuit with speeds reaching over 70 mph over unpaved roads.

The chase ended when he crashed the vehicle into a tree, seriously injuring nearly all eight passengers.

Llanes admitted to driving the vehicle, noting he was lucky he did not die from the crash.

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

Border Patrol conducted the investigation with the assistance of Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Fry 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.

HOUSTON – A total of 22 cases are being announced as part of local efforts targeting health care fraud and include various schemes alleging unlawful distribution of controlled substances, some of which were diverted onto the black market, hospice fraud, kickbacks and other Medicare/Medicaid fraud schemes involving medically unnecessary genetic tests, durable medical equipment and more.  

The charges filed in Southern District of Texas (SDTX) federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 national health care fraud takedown.

“Americans rely on Medicare for needed treatments and living-saving care. Those that bilk this fund to unlawfully enrich themselves are ultimately stealing from the taxpayer and damaging public confidence in our health system,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “Today’s takedown is a reminder to would-be medical fraudsters that the Department of Justice is always standing guard over the public fisc.”

“This record-setting health care fraud takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”

One of the largest cases include three individuals for their alleged roles in a $110 million hospice fraud and kickback scheme. The charges allege Dera Ogudo, 39, and Victoria Martinez, 35, both of Richmond, operated hospice company United Palliative & Hospice Company (UPHC) that misled vulnerable elderly adults about what services were being billed to their Medicare and Medicaid plans. According to court documents, UPHC Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries and/or their family members believed they would be receiving palliative or home health services. In truth, these patients were enrolled in hospice services but were not actually terminally ill as Medicare and Medicaid requires, according to the charges. Ogudo allegedly paid kickbacks to several group homeowners in exchange for enrolling their beneficiaries in hospice with UPHC and bribed a physician to certify and re-certify UPHC patients as terminally ill when they were not. Ogudo also allegedly paid kickbacks to Evelyn Shaw, 52, Houston, in exchange for referrals from a local psychiatric hospital where Shaw was employed as discharge coordinator.

In relation to the scheme, Carlos Munoz, 57, Richmond, is charged by information. Ogudo allegedly paid Munoz, a medical doctor, kickbacks and bribes to certify and re-certify Medicare and Medicaid patients for hospices services.

In a separate case, Keilan Peterson aka Young Jay or Jay, 38, and Kimberly Martinez, 47, Houston, have been charged for their alleged participation in a scheme to unlawfully distribute and dispense controlled substances in exchange for cash through Relief Medical Center and GroveCare clinics in Houston. As alleged in their indictment, Peterson paid three doctors to allow Peterson, Martinez and others at the clinics to use the doctors’ electronic prescribing credentials to issue prescriptions for significant amounts of hydrocodone, carisoprodol and oxycodone. Peterson also allegedly sent some of these illegitimate prescriptions to his own pharmacy, Next Level Pharmacy, and took possession of the controlled substances to sell on the black market. In total, the indictment alleges Peterson and others issued over 2 million controlled substance pills, the vast majority of which were unauthorized, issued without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional practice.

A podiatrist and the self-proclaimed CEO of a local medical clinic were also charged in another $90 million Medicare fraud scheme. The 15-count superseding indictment alleges David Jenson, 57, and Nestor Rafael Romero Magallanes, 29, both of Spring, conspired to fraudulently bill Medicare for over $90 million for skin substitute products-often for patients who did not have qualifying wounds. They allegedly submitted claims for patients who did not have qualifying wounds, or any wounds at all, and continued billing even after a 2023 audit denied all their claims and flagged the conduct as improper. The indictment further alleges Jenson and Romero falsified medical records to make it appear patients had chronic wounds and manipulated documentation to show those wounds were improving despite no such existing conditions. 

Charged with wire fraud, Tyneza P. Mitchell, 43, Spring, was allegedly involved in a scheme to bill the COVID-19 Claims Reimbursement to Health Care Providers and Facilities for Testing, Treatment and Vaccine Administration for the Uninsured Program. The charges allege billing included in-office consultations regarding COVID diagnosis and treatment she never provided. As alleged in the indictment, Mitchell is a licensed nurse practitioner who received $9.9 million as a result of her fraudulent scheme.

Daphne Johnson, 60, Stafford, was allegedly involved in a scheme to bill Medicaid $793,804 for mental health therapy services she never provided. As alleged in the information, Johnson received $331,112 as a result of her fraudulent scheme.

Prosecutors with the Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force also filed charges against several more individuals in this district with assistance from SDTX.

Chad Harper, 49, Pearland, is facing numerous charges in connection with a $115 Medicare fraud scheme. As alleged in the indictment, Harper owned multiple laboratories through which he billed Medicare for genetic and other diagnostic testing induced by kickbacks and bribes which were medically unnecessary or otherwise ineligible for Medicare. The indictment alleges Harper generated business through a nationwide network of marketers who directed referrals to the laboratories in exchange for illegal kickbacks that Harper paid through shell companies. Harper allegedly funded his operation through, among other ways, obtaining a fraudulent equipment loan from a local credit union. Harper allegedly laundered the proceeds of his schemes through other shell companies, which purchased and held real properties and assets and passed profits on to Harper.

Dr. Maryam “Meg” Qayum, 67, New Caney, is charged with multiple counts of illegally distributing a controlled substance along with Jared Williams, 48, Pearland; and Tomi-Ko Bowers, 70, Lester “Lay” Stokes, 37, and Melvin Sampson, 55, all of Houston. The charges stem from their alleged roles in diverting more than three million opioids onto the black market. As alleged in the indictment, Qayum is a medical doctor and Bowers an advanced practice registered nurse who operated Recare Clinic in Kingwood along with Stokes. They allegedly sold oxycodone and hydrocodone prescriptions to drug traffickers in exchange for cash. Sampson is alleged to be one such individual who recruited others to pose as patients, paid cash for the prescriptions from Qayum, filled Qayum’s prescriptions at complicit pharmacies and resold the drugs on the black market.

Other Strike Force cases include one charging Sacha Lashun Betts, 47, Houston, and Nicholas Aguillard, 49, Rosenberg; Lisa Darlene Durden, 60, and Jordan O. Williams, 56, both of Missouri City; Quincy Guillory, 51, Richmond; Mykel Walker, 42, Cypress, and Kaeita Rankin, 48, Houston. The indictment alleges they participated in a conspiracy to distribute and dispense controlled substances in connection with the establishment, oversight and operation of a drug trafficking organization that controlled more than a dozen “front” pharmacies used to sell opioids and other commonly abused prescription drugs, often in bulk, to street-level drug dealers on Houston’s black market. From 2015 through 2022, the defendants’ pharmacies unlawfully distributed and dispensed more than 4.4 million doses of opioids and other commonly abused prescription drugs, with an estimated street value exceeding $75 million, according to the charges. The co-conspirators allegedly sold opioids and other commonly abused prescription drugs to street-level drug traffickers in exchange for cash.

Other cases involve fraudulent schemes for kickbacks or billing Medicare for medically unnecessary genetic tests or footbath drugs, durable medical equipment, conspiracies to unlawfully distribute and dispense controlled substances, some involving diversion onto the black market or in connection to the operation of pill-mill pharmacies. Those charged in this district also include residents of Houston, Richmond, League City, Rosharon, Sugar Land, Katy, Pearland and Manvel as well as U.S. citizens from Florida, Indiana and Georgia.

All the cases are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in intended loss and over 15 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets. The United States has seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles and other assets in connection with the takedown.

Descriptions of each SDTX case and others involved in the enforcement actions are available on the Department of Justice’s website.

Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General (OIG), FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Federal Housing Finance Agency – OIG and U.S. Postal Service - OIG conducted the various investigations with assistance of police departments in Conroe, Dickinson and Houston. Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSA) Brad Gray, Kathryn Olson, Christine Lu, Alexander Alum and Thomas Carter are prosecting the SDTX cases with assistance from AUSAs Kristine Rollinson and Brandon Fyffe who are handling forfeiture matters. Counsel to the Chief of the Health Care Fraud Unit Alexis Gregorian, Acting Assistant Chief Devon Helfmeyer, Senior Litigation Counsel Catherine Wagner and Trial Attorneys Adam Tisdall, Andrew Tamayo, Monica Cooper, Benjamin Smith, Yael Mash, Erika V. Suhr, Ethan Womble, Claire Horrell and Gary A. Crosby are prosecuting the Strike Force matters.

SDTX and The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Rapid Response, Texas, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England and Northeast Strike Forces are prosecuting the cases as well as U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Districts of Columbia, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont; Northern and Western Districts of Texas; Central, Northern and Southern Districts of California; Middle, Northern and Southern Districts of Florida; Middle District of Georgia; Northern District of Illinois; Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky; Eastern and Middle Districts of Louisiana; Eastern District of Michigan; Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi; Eastern, Northern, Southern and Western Districts of New York; Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio; Northern and Western Districts of Oklahoma; Eastern District of Pennsylvania; Middle and Western Districts of Tennessee; Eastern District of Virginia; Western District of Washington; Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorney Generals’ Offices for Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team.

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

HOUSTON – Several foreign nationals illegally residing in the Houston area are now in custody for drug trafficking and weapons charges following a law enforcement operation targeting Venezuelan nationals and alleged members or associates of the Anti-Tren transnational criminal organization, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Most are expected to make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray at 2 p.m.

The charges allege Anti-Tren is a criminal organization almost exclusively comprised of former members and associates of Tren de Aragua (TdA). Similar to TdA, purposes of Anti-Tren allegedly include preserving and protecting the power and territory of the organization and its members and associates through attempted murder, other acts of violence and threats of such. This includes targeting members and associates of TdA and enriching the members and associates of Anti-Tren through, among other things, the trafficking of firearms and controlled substances, according to the charges.

Two criminal complaints charge 14 Anti-Tren members and associates with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine. These include Luis Miguel Claros Sarmiento, 26, Dany E. Rojas, 28, Ismael Leon Belbin, 24, Andy Luis Alvarez Herrera, 28, Cesar Oskeiber Cabezas Pacheco, 26, and Cesar Mauricio Velasquez, 27; Venezuelan nationals Raul Armando Ramirez Correa, 24, Darwin Martinez, 37, Peter Davila, 34, Otis Jose Rodriguez Garcia, 31, Pedro Hernandez Delgado, 19, Jesus F. Fernandez Troconiz, 26, Embeer J. Gutierrez Ternawskyj, 24, as well as Raul Antonio Claros Sarmiento, 30, Honduras.

According to the allegations, two groups of individuals agreed to transport kilogram quantities of cocaine in exchange for $15,000 for each load with each group accepting half as payment in advance.

“The Southern District’s twin priorities are securing our border and the eradication of violent crime. This case implicates both,” said Ganjei. “Operation Take Back America means going on the offensive against transnational criminal organizations to ensure that they cannot take root in our community and endanger public safety. SDTX is going to be unapologetic in carrying out that mission.”

“These arrests are the largest takedown of suspected Anti-Tren members and associates by the FBI, so far, and they happened right here in Houston,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams of the FBI Houston Field Office. “These individuals are accused of engaging in a turf war with TdA members and carrying out numerous violent crimes throughout our city, including a mass shooting at a local sports bar that left six people wounded. Fortunately, for the good and safety of our community, these individuals are now in federal custody facing U.S.  justice.”

If convicted, they face up to life in prison and a possible $10 million fine.

Correa, Ternawskyj, Garcia, Delgado and Pedro Jose Ramirez Delgado, 26, are also charged separately with various weapons offenses based on their alleged possession and sale of firearms. If convicted of those charges, they could receive up to 15 years in prison.

Jose Miguel Briceno, 25, a Venzuelan national who resided in Houston illegally, is charged separately with unlawful possession of ammunition by an alien. The criminal complaint alleges he was involved in a mass shooting at the Latinas Sports Bar club in Houston in March where six people were wounded, four of whom were in critical condition. According to the complaint, Briceno used a firearm to shoot inside the doorway of the bar and then discarded the firearm which law enforcement never located. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years imprisonment and a maximum $250,000 possible fine.

The FBI Houston field office conducted this investigation with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Marshals Service and Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Enforcement and Removal Operations, Texas Department of Public Safety, Houston Police Department and Harris County Sheriff’s Office.  

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz are prosecuting the case along with Jason Harley from the Department of Justice’s Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV). 

JTFV, which was created to combat MS-13 and now expanded to TdA under Attorney General Bondi, has been comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Eastern District of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Ohio; Eastern District of Virginia; Southern District of California; District of Columbia and Districts of New Jersey, Utah, Massachusetts, Nevada and Alaska as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security and Criminal Divisions. Additionally, the FBI; DEA; ICE-Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; and Federal Bureau of Prisons have been essential law enforcement partners and spearheaded JTFV’s investigations.

This case is also a 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 total of 202 cases have been filed from June 20-26 in border-security and other related matters in the Southern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

The filed cases include seven involving human smuggling. A total of 125 people are charged with illegally entering the country, while another 65 face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. Most of those individuals have prior felonies such as narcotics, violent crime, immigration crimes, sexual assault and more. Other relevant cases charged this week relate to immigration crimes, firearms and illegal exportation of stolen vehicles.

Among those newly charged are two Cuban nationals allegedly involved in a nationwide multimillion-dollar auto theft ring. Sadiel Noa-Aguila and Miguel Baez-Echevarria are allegedly part of a large ring linked to numerous vehicle thefts, primarily from major metropolitan airports and surrounding areas including Las Vegas, Nevada; Phoenix, Arizona; Salt Lake City, Utah; Denver, Colorado; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Texas cities including Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston. Several vehicles were allegedly exported to Mexico through ports of entry in Hidalgo County and El Paso. The charges allege the organization stole vehicles worth millions of dollars in total.

Others facing charges include several Mexican nationals who allegedly illegally reentered the country this week, including Juan Lopez who had just been removed June 2. He has a previous conviction of evading arrest and had been sentenced to 10 years in prison, according to the criminal complaint. Charges also allege Hugo Perez-Garza and Ventura De Jesus Sandoval-Torres have previous convictions for trafficking marijuana and alien smuggling, respectively, and had been previously removed, but authorities found them in the Pharr area. Discovered near Hidalgo was Jesus Jaime Saavedra-Orozco, a convicted felon for aggravated sexual assault of a child and sentenced t0 18 years before his removal, according to the allegations. They all face up to 20 years in prison. 

Also announced this week was a known Tren de Aragua (TdA) leader added to the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List. Giovanni Vincente Mosquera Serrano aka El Viejo is charged along with Jose Enrique Martinez Flores aka Chuqui with conspiring to provide and providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization - TdA - as well as conspiracy and distribution of cocaine in Colombia intended for distribution in the United States. Both are Venezuelan nationals and high ranking TdA members, according to the allegations. If convicted, both face up to life in federal prison and a possible $10 million fine. There is a $3 million reward for information leading to Serrano’s arrest and/or conviction. 

“Transnational criminal gangs and cartels have preyed upon Americans for far too long,” said Ganjei. “That ends now. The Southern District of Texas is committed to smashing these criminal terror groups and will use every available legal tool to do so. It doesn’t matter if you are hiding a continent away; if you hurt U.S. citizens, we will find you and bring you to justice. This is what Operation Take Back America looks like.” 

In Laredo, a Mexican citizen with a B1/B2 visa was sentenced for transportation of child pornography. Martin Alonso Diaz-Lopez received 180 months. At the hearing, the court held him accountable for 66,489 images and noted that not only was he receiving, but also sharing the photos online and bringing them into the United States. Many of the images and videos he possessed were of very young children and toddlers being raped. Authorities had linked his email from a visa application to that of a known user sharing material online and ultimately apprehended him upon his arrival at the Lincoln-Juarez Port of Entry in Laredo applying for admission into the United States. 

Mexican national Jesus Hernandez-Herrera received a 66 month-term of imprisonment for unlawfully reentering the country and human smuggling after crashing during a high-speed chase. He had been transporting illegal aliens in a Ford Expedition before fleeing authorities and weaving in and out of heavy traffic with speeds reaching 95 miles per hour. At his sentencing, the court heard additional evidence that described his criminal history, including another evading arrest in which he drove his car towards a federal agent and almost collided with a pedestrian. He also has five previous removals from the United States.  

Another illegal alien learned his sentence for trafficking over $1 million in cocaine. Miguel Angel Reyes-Sanchez received 57 months in federal prison. During the investigation and operations, authorities seized over 50 kilograms of cocaine. At the sentencing, the court heard additional evidence that described Reyes-Sanchez’s role in the drug trafficking organization and that he was involved in multiple transactions.  

In Houston, a Honduran national received his sentence for illegally reentering the United States. Denis Hernandez-Cruz was ordered to serve 60 months in federal prison. In handing down the sentence, the court noted he needed a substantial sentence to deter him from illegally reentering again. Hernandez-Cruz has felony convictions for illegal reentry as well as two convictions for burglary of a habitation. He has three prior removals from the United States, most recently in April 2020.

Angel Zavaleta-Rodriguez, an illegal alien from El Trapiche, Guerrero, Mexico, pleaded guilty in Brownsville federal court to illegal reentry into the United States. He had been removed from the United States in August 2000 and had previously returned illegally. Authorities removed him again Nov. 13, 2023, but encountered him March 25 in Harlingen. Zavaleta-Rodriguez had been residing in Sebastian illegally. He faces up to 20 years in federal 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 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.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 34-year-old man from Puebla, Mexico, has pleaded guilty to illegally reentry into the United States after removal, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

According to court records, Fidel Ramirez-Mancilla has a conviction for the aggravated felony of sex penetration with force. 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 River.  

U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera will impose sentencing Sept. 17. At that time, Ramirez-Mancilla faces up to 20 years in prison and a potential fine of up to $250,000.

He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.

Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel Castro 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 33-year-old Houston man has been taken into custody for his role in a large-scale business email compromise and money laundering scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Authorities have arrested Edikan Adiakpan who is expected to make his initial appearance at 2 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray.

A federal grand jury in Houston returned a three-count indictment June 11 charging Adiakpan with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy and illegal money transmission. The indictment alleges that in 2021, Adiakpan and co-conspirators carried out a business email compromise scheme targeting companies in at least eight states, including a California research group focused on developing treatments for U.S. veterans. 

Victims received “spoofed” emails that appeared to come from known suppliers and creditors, according to the charges. They were allegedly tricked into sending payments to bank accounts the fraudsters controlled instead of the actual suppliers.

The charges further allege the conspirators laundered the funds by quickly transferring the money between multiple bank accounts they controlled. They then allegedly converted the funds into cashier’s’ checks. Adiakpan allegedly cashed the checks and kept a percentage as a fee.

Another Nigerian citizen, Ayobami Omoniyi, 26, was previously charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud as part of the same scheme and is awaiting sentencing before U.S District Judge Andrew S. Hanen. 

If convicted, Adiakpan faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy charges and up to five years for the illegal money transmitting. Each conviction carries a possible $250,000 maximum fine. 

FBI – Houston and its Bryan Resident Agency and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Belinda Beek and Christine Lu are 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 33-year-old Honduran national who resided in Houston has been sentenced for illegally entering the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Denis Hernandez-Cruz pleaded guilty April 11.

U.S. District Judge Charles R. Eskridge has now ordered Hernandez-Cruz to serve 60 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Hernandez-Cruz needed a substantial sentence to deter him from illegally reentering again.

Hernandez-Cruz has felony convictions for illegal reentry as well as two convictions for burglary of a habitation. He has three prior removals from the United States, most recently in April 2020.

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

Immigrations and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Franklyn 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 (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

HOUSTON – A former attorney has entered a guilty plea for conspiring to commit mail fraud and filing a false tax return, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei.

Clyde J. Moore admitted to defrauding clients out of millions of dollars in personal injury settlement funds. Between 2012 and 2021, Moore and others at his firm, including Mark Broussard misled clients about medical expenses and diverted money for personal use. Moore ran the scheme through his firm, Clyde J. Moore Attorney at Law P.C.

To carry out the fraud, Moore and others inflated medical costs and falsely told injured clients the firm had paid certain providers more than it actually had. As a result, clients received a reduced share of their settlements.

Moore funneled the skimmed funds from the firm’s trust account into personal expenses. He used the money to buy two Ferrari sports cars, pay private school tuition for his children and fund an investment account. Moore also shared stolen funds with Broussard and other members of the firm who helped carry out the scheme.

Losses from the fraud totaled approximately $2.4 million.

As part of his plea, Moore will pay restitution to the IRS of over $500,000, representing taxes owed from years of false tax returns that intentionally understated his income. In addition, he has agreed to compensate his clients for the fraud in an amount the court will determine at a later date.

U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks will impose sentencing Sept. 8. At that time, Moore faces a maximum five-year possible prison term for the conspiracy and up to three years for tax fraud. Both convictions also carry a potential $250,000 fine.

Broussard had previously pleaded guilty to the same charges and is also pending sentencing.

IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Johnson is prosecuting this case.

McALLEN, Texas – Two Cuban nationals have been taken into custody on charges related to the exportation of stolen motor vehicles, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Sadiel Noa-Aguila, 42, and Miguel Baez-Echevarria, 36, resided in Pharr and Las Vegas, Nevada, respectively. 

Noa-Aguila is set to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker in McAllen at 9 a.m., while Baez is expected to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brenda Wexler in Las Vegas.  

According to the criminal complaint unsealed upon their arrests, authorities launched an investigation in 2024 that uncovered a large ring linked to numerous vehicle thefts nationwide. The charges allege the vehicles were primarily stolen from major metropolitan airports and surrounding areas, including Las Vegas; Phoenix, Arizona; Salt Lake City, Utah; Denver, Colorado; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Texas cities including Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston.

As part of the scheme, co-conspirators allegedly used electronic devices to steal the vehicles and reprogram key fobs. They then equipped the vehicles with fraudulent license plates or altered vehicle identification numbers before reselling them, according to the charges. Several vehicles were also allegedly exported to Mexico through ports of entry in Hidalgo County and El Paso. 

Noa-Aguila allegedly attempted to export one of the vehicles, a 2022 GMC Sierra AT4 through a port of entry in Hidalgo County Oct. 1, 2024. It had been reported stolen in Denver the previous month, according to the allegations.

The charges allege Baez is linked to the theft of at least 15 additional vehicles and estimates the organization stole vehicles worth millions of dollars in total.

Both are charged with aiding and abetting the exportation of stolen motor vehicles which carries a maximum 10-year-prison term, upon conviction. Baez also faces charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering for which he could receive up to 20 years in federal prison.  

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - Homeland Security Investigations and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are conducting the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, Texas Department of Public Safety, Dallas Fort Worth Airport Department of Public Safety, Tarrant County District Attorneys’ Office and Tarrant County Regional Auto Crimes Task Force as well as sheriff’s offices in El Paso and Hidalgo Counties; Otero County, New Mexico; Broward County, Florida; and police departments in El Paso, Houston and Pharr; Las Vegas; Phoenix; Salt Lake City; and Denver.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Roberto Lopez Jr. 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 OCDETF 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. 

LAREDO, Texas – A 36-year-old Mexican national who illegally resided in Laredo has been sentenced for unlawfully reentering the country and human smuggling, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Jesus Hernandez-Herrera pleaded guilty March 27.

U.S. District Judge John Kazen has now ordered Hernandez-Herrera to serve 66 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings again following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that described Hernandez-Herrera’s criminal history, including an evading arrest incident in which he drove his car towards a federal agent, almost collided with a pedestrian and engaged in a dangerous vehicle pursuit. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Hernandez-Herrera did not seem remorseful for what he did.

Hernandez-Herrera also has five prior removals from the United States.

On Dec. 10, 2024, a Ford Expedition and Cadillac were driving in tandem and stopped at an intersection, where three suspected illegal aliens approached the two vehicles. Hernandez-Herrera had been driving the Expedition.

Authorities followed him to a residence on Green Street where they observed suspected illegal aliens leave the house and enter the vehicle. When law enforcement attempted a traffic stop, Hernandez-Herrera fled and lead them on a high-speed pursuit, weaving in and out of heavy traffic and speeds reaching 95 miles per hour.

The pursuit ended when Hernandez-Herrera crashed into two vehicles on Santa Maria Avenue. He and four illegal aliens fled on foot. Hernandez-Herrera ran into oncoming traffic, but law enforcement apprehended him before he could cross onto the southbound lanes of IH-35.

Hernandez-Herrera ultimately confessed, admitting there were additional aliens at the Green Street residence. Authorities discovered an additional four people illegally in the United States and approximately 50.8 kilograms of marijuana at the location.

“The human smuggling trade endangers our community in many ways, not the least of which is high-speed vehicular flights like the one in this case,” said Ganjei. “This defendant, with his five prior removals, should have never been in this country, but now he’ll have the opportunity to stay in federal custody for several more years before being removed for one last time.”

Hernandez-Herrera 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 Texas Department of Public Safety and Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew P. Hakala-Finch 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.

HOUSTON – Viking Life-Saving Equipment (America) Inc. has agreed to pay $3.86 million to resolve allegations it fraudulently obtained paycheck protection program (PPP) loans, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Viking is a marine equipment company headquartered in Miami, Florida, with operations in Pasadena. It is a subsidiary of Denmark-based Viking Life Savings Equipment A/S. The company provides maritime and offshore safety equipment and services, including lifeboats, life rafts, personal protective gear and safety training programs.

From April 24, 2020, to Nov. 11, 2021, Viking applied for two PPP loans and requested forgiveness for both. The PPP, created under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, offered forgivable loans to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic for employee payroll and certain other expenses. Eligible companies were required to have fewer than 500 employees or meet industry-specific size limits. Under the Small Business Administration (SBA) affiliation rules, businesses with shared ownership or control had to include all affiliated employees when calculating eligibility.

The settlement resolves allegations that Viking obtained two PPP loans by misrepresenting the total number of its own employees and those of its affiliates. Viking allegedly falsely certified eligibility on the dates of the relevant loan application materials to receive PPP funding and loan forgiveness. Viking fully responded to requests for information in this investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul B. Moore handled the matter in coordination with Attorney Amber Perez, SBA - Office of General Counsel.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

HOUSTON – A Houston couple have been sentenced for wire fraud and conspiracy for a romance scheme targeting citizens nationwide, many of whom were elderly, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Darlington Akporugo, 47, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud Feb 28. His wife, Jasmin Sood aka Jaslynn Washington, 37, entered her plea to the same charges Dec. 17, 2024.      

U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge has imposed a 188-month-term of imprisonment for Akporugo, while Sood received 121 months. Both must also serve three years of supervised release following their sentences and pay full restitution of $3,123,073. 

At the hearing, four victims testified about the couple’s persistent lies and false promises, which led them to send large sums of money. One victim told the court how the pair coerced her into buying a luxury vehicle and renting a mansion for them. Authorities arrested the couple while they were driving the victim’s vehicle and living in her rented home. In handing down the sentence, the court described the scheme as heartless and far-reaching, noting Akporugo and Sood deliberately targeted older women, including several widows. Judge Eskridge highlighted the financial devastation left in their wake and commended the victims for their courage in coming forward. 

Akporugo admitted to being a central figure in a long-running romance scheme based in Houston that targeted victims from Chicago to Kentucky. He and others to lured victims through online romances and convinced them to send money to bank accounts he controlled. Sood created fake businesses and bank accounts under aliases and used disguises to deposit the funds.     

To carry out the scheme, Akporugo and his co-conspirators used fake names on social media to gain victims’ trust and persuade them to invest in non-existent businesses or provide funds for invented personal circumstances. Akporugo admitted to directing victims-mostly older individuals-to send money through platforms like Facebook. The funds were spent extravagantly or passed to co-defendants. 

He also admitted to having victims open lines of credit in his name and, in one case, purchase a luxury vehicle for his personal use. Authorities identified over 25 victims during the multi-year scheme.   

Losses from the fraud ring’s operation total more than $3 million.

“Investigating and prosecuting those that perpetuate romance scams—particularly those who target the lonely elderly—will always be a priority for the Southern District of Texas,” said Ganjei. “We applaud those victims courageous enough to notify authorities, and we encourage others who have been victimized to similarly come forward. Together, we may stop the next fraudster.”

“Romance scams and other financial schemes like this exploit our nation’s elderly and vulnerable populations out of their hard-earned retirement savings and other critical funding that they need to survive,” said Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz of Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI). “As a result, they are often left emotionally devastated and financially ruined with limited options for recovery once the money has been laundered out of the U.S. Thanks to the courage of the victims in this case who came forward quickly to report it to law enforcement, we were able to successfully track down the two criminals responsible and hold them accountable before they could take advantage of additional victims.”

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

ICE-HSI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Carter prosecuted the case.

McALLEN, Texas – A 40-year-old Mexican national illegally in the United States has been ordered to prison for possessing narcotics with the intent to distribute, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei.

Miguel Angel Reyes-Sanchez pleaded guilty Aug. 2, 2024.

Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered him to serve 57 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 Reyes-Sanchez’s role in the drug trafficking organization and that he was involved in multiple transactions.

The investigation revealed that on April 2, 2024, Reyes-Sanchez placed a white cardboard box into a silver Buick that Cesar Gonzales was driving. Authorities conducted a traffic stop which lead to the discovery of 3.5 kilograms of cocaine inside the vehicle. Gonzales attempted to flee on foot, but law enforcement was able to apprehend him.

A month later, law enforcement observed Reyes-Sanchez in another drug transaction which resulted in the discovery of an additional 49.2 kilograms of cocaine.

He admitted he knew he was transporting the drugs on that date and to providing the cocaine to Gonzales.

The drugs from both instances had an estimated street value of $1.2 million.

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

Gonzales, 24, McAllen, had also pleaded guilty and was previously sentenced to 24 months in federal prison.

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia prosecuted the case.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 49-year-old man from El Trapiche, Guerrero, Mexico, pleaded guilty to illegal reentry into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Angel Zavaleta-Rodriguez was previously removed from the United States in August 2000 and had previously returned illegally. Authorities removed him Nov. 13, 2023, but encountered him again March 25 in Harlingen. Zavaleta-Rodriguez had been residing in Sebastian illegally. 

U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera will impose sentencing Sept. 7. At that time, Zavaleta-Rodriguez faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine.

Zavaleta-Rodriguez has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation along with the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Coronado 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.

LAREDO, Texas - A 42-year-old Mexican citizen with a B1/B2 visa has been sentenced to federal prison for attempting to enter the United States with child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Martin Alonso Diaz-Lopez pleaded guilty July 9, 2024, to transportation of child pornography.

U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen has now sentenced Diaz-Lopez to 180 months in federal prison. In handing down the prison term, the court held him accountable for 66,489 images and noted that Diaz-Lopez wasn’t just possessing these images but sharing them online and bringing them into the United States. Diaz-Lopez was further ordered to pay $44,148 in restitution to the victims in the images he possessed and brought to the country. Not a U.S. citizen, Diaz-Lopez is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. He will also have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet and will be ordered to register as a sex offender. The court noted that many of the images and videos he possessed were of very young children and toddlers being raped.

The investigation began when authorities identified his email as one of many internet users in Tijuana, Mexico, sharing child pornography online. Diaz-Lopez had applied for a visa in 2023 and listed the same email address uncovered during the investigation. Law enforcement then put an alert on his name.

On March 22, 2024, Diaz-Lopez arrived at the Lincoln-Juarez Port of Entry in Laredo and applied for admission into the United States. Authorities referred him to secondary inspection because of the alert.

At that time, Diaz-Lopez consented to a search of his phones which revealed approximately 20 images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

A forensic examination ultimately uncovered a total of 1,484 child pornography files - 883 videos and 264 pictures.

Diaz-Lopez admitted he began viewing CSAM in 2022 while living and working in Pennsylvania and continued after returning to his home in Mexico. He also acknowledged belonging to group chats on various social media platforms where he and others exchanged CSAM. He further admitted he shared material in those chats to receive more in return.

“The defendant not only chose to break our country’s immigration laws, but also decided to bring in thousands of images of children being sexually abused. Neither defendant, nor his sick proclivities, are welcome in America,” said Ganjei. “Diaz-Lopez earned each and every day of his 180-month sentence, and an equally severe punishment awaits him if he ever tries to return.”

“Today's sentencing shows that anyone trying to exploit and harm children, no matter where they're from, will face serious consequences. This case, involving a Mexican citizen who tried to enter the U.S. with child pornography, highlights our dedication to protecting our homeland and our neighborhoods. HSI, along with our law enforcement partners, will keep working hard to bring those who exploit our children to justice and protect the most vulnerable among us,” said Laredo Acting Deputy Special Agent in Charge Mauro Lopez from Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI).

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

ICE-HSI conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Makens 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 link on that page.

HOUSTON - A five-count superseding indictment has been unsealed charging two Venezuelan nationals and alleged high-ranking members of the designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA), announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.   

Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano aka “El Viejo,” 37, and Jose Enrique Martinez Flores aka “Chuqui,” 24, are charged with conspiring to provide and providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization as well as conspiracy and distribution of cocaine in Colombia intended for distribution in the United States. 

A federal grand jury in Houston returned a superseding indictment April 8, which has now been unsealed in its entirety.  

Colombian authorities arrested Martinez Flores March 31 in Colombia pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant the United States had requested. He remains in custody there pending further proceedings. 

Mosquera Serrano remains a fugitive and is now on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List.

“Transnational criminal gangs and cartels have preyed upon Americans for far too long,” said Ganjei. “That ends now. The Southern District of Texas is committed to smashing these criminal terror groups and will use every available legal tool to do so. It doesn’t matter if you are hiding a continent away; if you hurt U.S. citizens, we will find you and bring you to justice. This is what Operation Take Back America looks like.” 

According to the allegations, Mosquera Serrano and Martinez Flores are charged with one count of conspiring to provide material support to TdA in the form of personnel (including themselves) and services and one count of providing material support to TdA. The indictment also alleges one count of international drug distribution conspiracy based on their involvement in the distribution of five kilograms of cocaine or more and two substantive counts of international drug distribution.

The Department of State designated TdA as a foreign terrorist organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist Feb. 20. 

According to information presented to the court, Mosquera Serrano is a senior TdA leader who oversees TdA criminal operations across Colombia, Central America and the United States, and Martinez Flores is a high-ranking TdA leader in Bogota, Colombia.  

The charges allege Mosquera Serrano and Martinez Flores caused the delivery of approximately five kilograms or more of cocaine for international distribution, proceeds that were used to further TdA’s criminal goals.

If convicted, they face up to life in prison and a possible $10 million fine. 

If you have any information concerning Mosquera Serrano, please contact the FBI via WhatsApp or Telegram at 281-787-9939. Those with information may also contact their local FBI office, nearest American Embassy or Consulate or can submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.

The Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program is offering a reward of up to $3 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Mosquera Serrano. 

The FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Colombian National Police and the Colombian Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía General de la Nación). The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, provided significant assistance. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz are prosecuting the case along with Deputy Director David C. Smith from the Department of Justice’s Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV). 

JTFV was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded to target TdA and is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. Those include SDTX; Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Northern District of Ohio; Districts of New Jersey, Utah, Massachusetts, Nevada and Alaska; Eastern District of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Virginia; Southern District of California; and the District of Columbia, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI; DEA; Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Forearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; and Federal Bureau of Prisons have been essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.

This case is also a 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. 

VICTORIA, Texas - A 28-year-old Houston man has been ordered to federal prison following his convictions for armed robbery and felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

The jury deliberated for less than two hours following a three-day trial before finding Jordan Javon Ashton guilty Feb. 20.

U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now handed Ashton a total 84-month-term of imprisonment to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard from the robbery victim who described being afraid to work in public and to having nightmares, poor appetite and anxiety. The owner of the stolen truck used in the robbery also provided testimony about how his family is frightened as a result of the theft and that his son was sad because his toys were stolen.   

Oct. 31, 2023, Latrayveon McNeal and Jerrell Potts robbed the Morelos Supermercardos in Victoria using a stolen vehicle, gun and license plates. Wearing masks and armed with firearms, they entered the store, threatened employees at the Barri money services counter and stole U.S. currency and cashed checks.

The men fled in a stolen white truck and met up with Ashton, who was armed and waiting. Ashton drove them from the scene, leaving the truck idling in the middle of the road.

The jury saw numerous exhibits to include several photographs and surveillance video from the supermarket, the weapons used in the crime and heard excerpts of 911 calls made on that day.

They also heard that Ashton had previously been convicted of a felony and was on parole during the commission of this crime.

The defense attempted to convince the jury that he withdrew from the conspiracy. They did not believe those claims and found Ashton guilty as charged.

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

McNeal, 27, and Potts, 25, both of Houston, previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the crime. Both received 87 months in federal prison.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of Victoria Police Department, Victoria County Sheriff’s Office and Victoria County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patti Hubert Booth prosecuted the case.

An indictment was unsealed on Wednesday in Houston charging a Texas man with offenses related to the alleged operation of illegal and unsafe trucking companies.

According to court documents, Shaquan Jelks, 48, of Houston, managed and controlled multiple commercial trucking companies after being ordered not to do so by a federal court and by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (“FMCSA”), the regulatory agency responsible for ensuring that commercial trucks and their drivers are equipped to operate safely on public roads and highways. The indictment against Jelks alleges that he repeatedly lied to and obstructed the FMCSA, including after a driver for his companies was killed in a single-vehicle crash in February 2022. The indictment also alleges that Jelks relied on fraud to finance his illegal trucking companies, including by diverting to his trucking companies money fraudulently obtained from the Paycheck Protection Program.

“Individuals who impair, impede, or obstruct the lawful functions of the FMCSA make our roads and highways less safe,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department will continue to work closely with the Department of Transportation and our law enforcement partners to protect drivers on our roads and highways.”

“Motorists have a right to expect that the commercial trucks on their roadways—which weigh tens of thousands of pounds or more—are safely maintained and operated,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas. “By prosecuting those that undermine this expectation of safety, DOJ and DOT are simultaneously keeping our roadways safe and maintaining public confidence.”

“Keeping our highways safe is essential to protecting our families, our economy, and our way of life,” said Joseph Harris, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General’s Southern Region. “People have every right to expect that trucking companies follow the highest safety standards when using our public roads. Today’s announcement shows our continued commitment to holding commercial operators accountable—especially those who put profits ahead of public safety by disregarding key DOT regulations.”

The Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Ethan Carroll and Lindsey Marcus of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Day of the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

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

HOUSTON – A total of 204 new cases have been filed in the last week related to immigration, border security and related offenses from June 13-19, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. 

Among those are 65 people who face charges of illegally reentering the country. The majority have prior felony convictions for narcotics, violent crime, prior immigration crimes and more. A total of 125 people are charged with illegally entering the country, while five cases allege various instances of human smuggling with the remainder involving other immigration crimes and more, including assault on officers.

Two such charged include Adrian Alberto Castillo-Contador and Lorenzo Ramirez. Castillo-Contador, a Mexican national, allegedly attempted to make entry into the United States through the Hidalgo port of entry. The charges allege he failed to comply with commands and attempted to evade a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer. Castillo-Contador allegedly pushed the officer and caused injury but was apprehended before able to exit.

In another case, authorities allegedly found Lorenzo Ramirez near an abandoned vehicle after a failed smuggling event near Weslaco. The criminal complaint alleges that as a Border Patrol (BP) agent approached him, Ramirez fled, and a foot chase ensued. Law enforcement caught him, but during the struggle, Ramirez punched and elbowed the agent in the thigh and head, respectively, according to the charges. Ramirez also allegedly kicked another agent in the leg. The charges further allege authorities had to taser him. Both men face up to eight years in federal prison if convicted for assaulting an officer.

Also part of the new cases are several complaints alleging previous felons had illegally reentered the United States. Mexican nationals Ivan Edgar Martinez, Carlos Bartolo Santiago-Hernandez and Hugo Jimenez-Castillo had all been previously removed from the country on various dates between 2017-2014, acceding to their respective charges. However, all were allegedly found in the Rio Grande Valley area this week. Martinez and Santiago-Hernandez have convictions for illegal reentry, while Jimenez-Castillo had been sentenced to two years in prison for his driving while intoxicated conviction, according to the allegations. If convicted, all face up to 20 years in prison.

Throughout the district, law enforcement partners made multiple arrests, including nearly two dozen charged in large drug and money laundering operation. Grand juries in Houston and McAllen returned the five separate, but related indictments in May. The charges allegedly involve cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine trafficking, firearms-related offenses and money laundering. The arrests are the culmination of multiple months-long Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigations dubbed Operation Red Ranger, Borrowed Time and Resurrection. During the investigation and operations, law enforcement also seized over 170 kilograms of cocaine and heroin, over two thousand kilograms methamphetamine, more than 100 firearms and nearly $3 million as well as four properties valued at $1.2 million.

In Laredo, two cartel firearms traffickers have now been sent to federal prison. Mexican national Jorge Alberto Morales-Calvo received a 41-month-term, while Homero Arteaga Jr. previously received 57 months. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that the firearms were going to be smuggled across the border and delivered to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. On Sept. 18, 2024, they planned to purchase a Barrett .50 caliber rifle for $15,000 and a FN Herstal Belgium, 5.7 x 28 caliber pistol with a large capacity magazine for $850. They were both arrested as they tried to complete the transaction.

“The Department of Justice is looking to hit the cartels from every angle and at every opportunity, which includes vigorously prosecuting not just the members of these terror groups, but those that enable them as well,” said Ganjei. “Those that arm or otherwise empower the cartels are going to the meet the full force of the federal criminal justice system.”

In Corpus Christi, an Arkansas man was ordered to prison for 36 months for transporting illegal aliens in wheel well and fuel tank. The jury deliberated for less than 30 minutes following a less than two-day trial before finding Noel Mercado guilty on two counts of alien smuggling March 11. At the sentencing hearing, the court noted the egregious crime and said the smuggled individuals had been “treated like trash.” All the illegal aliens were from the countries of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala with no authority to be in the United States.

“As we continue our successful campaign to secure the border, human smugglers are going to get increasingly desperate,” said Ganjei. “No matter how creative they think they are in their methods, our law enforcement partners are always one step ahead.”

A Laredo felon was also sentenced for transporting illegal aliens. Braulio Ivan Rueda was ordered to serve 21 months after he had engaged in a high-speed chase. Rueda picked up several people running from the Rio Grande River into his SUV. When authorities tried to block the vehicle, four Guatemalan nationals fled towards the river. Rueda sped away and led authorities on a three-mile chase before stopping in a commercial parking lot and attempted to escape on foot. He admitted he needed money and agreed to smuggle the aliens for “easy money.”

Also in Laredo, Anthony Jacob Garza was suspiciously driving a Ford Expedition about 20 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border in April. He admitted he stopped at a gas station, where authorities ultimately found three illegal aliens hiding under a blanket in the SUV’s cargo area. He had picked them up near a county road. He faces up to 10 years in prison.

Two Mexican nationals and convicted felons, one who had previously assaulted public servant, are on their way back to prison for illegal reentry into the country. Abelino Hernandez-Torres was ordered to serve 60 months. He has prior convictions for illegal reentry as well as evading arrest with a motor vehicle and assault on a public servant. He was first ordered removed from the United States in 2015 and again in 2019 and 2020, and returned illegally.

Authorities had encountered Hector Ruben Cardenas-Morales in jail following charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful restraint. He has other convictions, including burglary, evading arrest with a motor vehicle and illegal reentry and was last removed in 2023. At the sentencing hearing, the court noted how this was his fifth time coming back and was not serving himself by returning to the country or learning from his mistakes, stating “Sir, you have no future in the United States.” He was sentenced to 63 months in federal 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, BP, CBP, 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 OCDTF 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.

McALLEN, Texas – A 23-year-old Mexican national has been sentenced for alien smuggling resulting in death, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Jose Guadalupe Antonio-Arredondo pleaded guilty April 3.

Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Antonio-Arredondo to serve 30 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.

Antonio-Arredondo admitted to assisting in the smuggling of an illegal alien July 12, 2024, by acting as a river guide. He led the illegal alien and a brush guide across the river to the border wall, then returned to Mexico.

After crossing, the illegal alien had trouble breathing and collapsed. The brush guide fled to a nearby house to hide from law enforcement. Authorities found the alien and took him to a hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased July 17, 2024.

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

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.

HOUSTON – A total of 23 people are now in custody for various drug trafficking, firearms and money laundering charges following major law enforcement operations in Houston/Galveston and Rio Grande Valley areas of Texas this week, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Some of those arrested have already begun to make their appearances U.S. Magistrate Judges Christina Bryan in Houston, Andrew Edison in Galveston and Nadia Medrano in McAllen. Others are in state custody on related charges and expected in federal court in the near future. 

Grand juries in Houston and McAllen returned the five separate, but related indictments in May. The charges allege crimes that occurred as early as January 2023 for some and between May 2024 and December 2024 for others and involve cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine trafficking, firearms-related offenses and money laundering.

The charges allege some of the individuals were truck drivers delivering drugs north. According to information presented to the court, 10 kilograms of cocaine had been taken to Georgia and money returned to pay drivers and other expenses.

The arrests are the culmination of multiple months-long Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigations dubbed Operation Red Ranger, Borrowed Time and Resurrection. During the investigation and operations, law enforcement also seized over 170 kilograms of cocaine and heroin, over two thousand kilograms methamphetamine, more than 100 firearms and nearly $3 million as well as four properties valued at $1.2 million.

If convicted, many charged with drug trafficking offenses face up to life in federal prison and could pay millions in fines. Those charged with money laundering offenses face up to 20 years, while the firearms convictions carry up to 10 or 15 years in federal prison.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the OCDETF operations with the assistance of U.S. Marshals Service; Texas Department of Public Safety; sheriff’s offices in Fort Bend, Galveston, Chambers, Hidalgo, Harris and Kleberg counties; Texas Attorney General’s Office - Money Laundering Unit; West Tennessee Drug Task Force and police departments in Houston, Katy and Galveston as well as Houston and South Texas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area programs. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leo J. Leo III, Patricia Cook Profit, Michael Day and Roberto Lopez are prosecuting the cases.

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 Neighborhood.

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

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 26-year-old convicted felon who is a Mexican national has been sentenced for unlawfully reentering the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Abelino Hernandez-Torres pleaded guilty Nov. 26, 2024.

U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has now ordered Hernandez-Torres to serve 60 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. 

Hernandez-Torres has prior convictions for illegal reentry as well as evading arrest with a motor vehicle and assault on a public servant. He was first ordered removed from the United States in 2015 and again in 2019 and May 2, 2020, and returned illegally. He was found in Olmito following his arrest for evading arrest with a motor vehicle Jan. 20, 2021.

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

Immigration Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana C. Cano 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.