-and-
Last week, the U.S. Attorneys for Arizona, Central California, Southern California, New Mexico, Southern Texas, and Western Texas charged more than 960 defendants with criminal violations of U.S. immigration laws.
Source: Department of Justice
Photo: Courtesy
Since the inauguration of President Trump, the Department of Justice is playing a critical role in Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Last week, the U.S. Attorneys for Arizona, Central California, Southern California, New Mexico, Southern Texas, and Western Texas charged more than 960 defendants with criminal violations of U.S. immigration laws.
The Southern District of Texas filed 257 cases in relation to immigration and border security. Of those, 98 face allegations of illegally re-entering the country with the majority having felony convictions such as narcotics, violent and/or sexual crimes and prior immigration offenses, among others. A total of 132 face charges of illegally entering the country, 23 cases involve various instances of human smuggling, and the remainder relate to firearms and other immigration matters. Among those charged as part of these new cases include two illegal alien human smugglers who engaged in a dangerous pursuit and crash.
The Western District of Texas announced that federal prosecutors in the district filed 261 immigration and immigration-related criminal cases.
The District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 260 defendants. Specifically, the United States filed 96 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 155 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States also filed nine cases against nine individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
The Central District of California filed criminal charges against 20 defendants who allegedly were found in the U.S. following removal. Many of the defendants charged previously were convicted of felony offenses before they were removed from the United States, offenses that include vandalism and firearms crimes.
The Southern District of California filed 90 border-related cases this week, including charges of transportation of illegal aliens, reentering the U.S. after deportation, deported alien found in the United States, and importation of controlled substances. In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecuted a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
The District of New Mexico brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico: 37 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326), six individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324), and 32 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325). In a significant case, a criminal complaint was filed against David Serrano-Dominguez, a Mexican national illegally present in the U.S., charging him with being an alien in possession of firearms, possession of an unregistered short-barrel rifle, and reentry of a deported alien. HSI agents arrested Serrano-Dominguez at an apartment complex in Deming, NM, where he had been residing. Agents had identified social media posts showing Serrano-Dominguez in possession of and discharging handguns and rifles. Following his arrest, agents discovered 10 firearms and approximately 500 rounds of ammunition in the apartment. Among the firearms was an unregistered short-barreled rifle.
District of New Mexico
ALBUQUERQUE – Today (March 28, 2025), the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies.
In the one-week period ending March 28, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:
- 37 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
- 6 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
- 32 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
In a significant case, a criminal complaint was filed against David Serrano-Dominguez, a Mexican national illegally present in the U.S., charging him with alien in possession of firearms, possession of an unregistered short-barrel rifle, and reentry of a deported alien. HSI agents arrested Serrano-Dominguez at an apartment complex in Deming, NM, where he had been residing. Agents had identified social media posts showing Serrano-Dominguez in possession of and discharging handguns and rifles. Following his arrest, agents discovered 10 firearms and approximately 500 rounds of ammunition in the apartment. Among the firearms was an unregistered rifle with a barrel length of less than 16 inches.
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.
Protecting law enforcement officers is a key part of border security. During this time period, Enrique Rodriguez-Salazar, was sentenced to 11 months in prison. Border Patrol agents apprehended the defendant on September 26, 2024, near the border wall in Santa Teresa, NM after he illegally reentered the U.S. from Mexico. As he was being arrested, Rodriguez-Salazar grabbed a handful of sand and dirt from the ground, throwing it into the U.S. Border Patrol agents face and eyes in an attempt to escape from the agent.
From the beginning of Fiscal Year 2025 through the end of February 2025, 40 El Paso Sector Border Patrol Agents have been assaulted, following 103 assaults in Fiscal Year 2024. U.S. Border Patrol is collaborating closely with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure that those who assault federal officers are brought to justice. This interagency cooperation is crucial in protecting the men and women who serve on the frontlines of our nation’s border security efforts and in deterring future attacks on law enforcement personnel.
These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. 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 District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.
