Reported / Citable
HOUSTON – Another 247 people have been charged, including 232 illegal aliens, in 239 cases involving immigration and border security-related crimes from Aug. 28-Sept. 3.
A total of 171 criminal complaints were filed for felony reentry after prior removal, while another 41 people face charges of illegal entry. Most of those illegal aliens have prior felonies involving narcotics, violent crime, immigration offenses, and more. In addition, 42 people have been charged with human smuggling which includes 20 illegal aliens themselves. The remaining cases charged this week relate to other immigration crimes and firearms charges.
Three illegal aliens charged during this period were already removed this year, but returned again unlawfully to the Rio Grande Valley, according to new criminal complaints against them. Junior Fidel Ramos-Leiva is a Honduran male who allegedly has a prior conviction of robbery with dangerous weapon, while Mexican nationals Brayan Valadez-Hernandez and Brayan Gutierrez-Salvador have two prior felony drug convictions and an alien smuggling conviction, respectively.
Law enforcement discovered three more Mexican males illegally in the United States. Jose Ivan Hernandez-Martinez and Jose Francisco Torres-Olguin allegedly have prior convictions for alien in possession of a firearm and alien smuggling before their removals in 2025. Jose Luis Amezcua-Gutierrez was discovered near Hidalgo, despite having been removed in 2024 following his conviction and sentence for indecent liberties with child.
All five face up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted.
In addition to the new cases, Ivan Gerardo Castillo-Castro , an illegal alien from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, received a 33-month federal prison sentence for being an alien in possession of a firearm. At the hearing, the court heard about his prior criminal history, including convictions for assault and illegal reentry, as well as incidents in which he assaulted a domestic partner, a juvenile, and a police officer attempting to arrest him. While awaiting sentencing, he also participated in a gang-style assault on other inmates.
The cases are referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE – Homeland Security Investigations, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, as well as the 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 immigrants, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the Southern District. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault, and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than 10 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.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Southern District of Texas — U.S. Department of Justice press release.