Operation Take Back America efforts continue with 267 more charged in the Southern District of Texas

HOUSTON - A total of 256 cases have been filed for immigration and border security-related crimes from May 1-7, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.

The charges include 40 people allegedly involved in human smuggling. A total of 46 criminal complaints were filed for illegal entry, while another 180 people face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. The remaining case includes another immigration violation. Most of those charged this week have prior felonies such as narcotics, violent crime, immigration offenses and more.

Three of the filed cases allegedly involve illegal aliens found in the McAllen area. One individual is Armando Montoya-Cardozo from Bolivia, according to the charges. The criminal complaint alleges he has a prior conviction for carnal knowledge of a minor before he was removed from the United States, and that law enforcement discovered him near Roma with no authorization to be in the United States.

Also found near Roma was Juan Jose German-Carrillo despite having been removed Jan. 8, according to the complaint against him. The Mexican national was previously convicted of injuring a child or the elderly and possession of a controlled substance. Another Mexican national with prior drug convictions is Rene Villarreal-Carmona, according to his charges. Authorities discovered him near Escobares despite having been previously removed from the country.

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

In addition to the new cases, a three-time DUI offender illegally in the United States was ordered to federal prison in Houston federal court. Mexican national Jose Alejandro Luna-Rangel was previously removed from the United States in July 2016 following his conviction for driving under the influence with a child in the vehicle. However, he illegally returned and was convicted for assault-family violence and felony driving while intoxicated (third offense). He was ordered to serve 40 months for the federal illegal reentry after prior removal conviction.

The cases are referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement - 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.

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

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than 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.