SDTX adds 256 more cases in ongoing border enforcement efforts

HOUSTON - A total of 259 individuals have been charged in immigration and border security-related crimes from June 26-July 3, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.

The Southern District filed a total of 188 criminal complaints for felony reentry after prior removal, while another 40 people face charges of illegal entry. Most of those individuals have previous convictions, such as narcotics and violent crimes, immigration offenses and more. The cases also include 26 people allegedly involved in human smuggling, while the remaining five matters relate to other immigration offenses and assaulting officers.

Among those charged with felony reentry include a Guatemalan illegal alien with a prior conviction for rape of a child, according to the charges. However, law enforcement discovered Jelber Botello-Hernandez near La Grulla, with no authorization to be in the United States. Also found in the same area was Mexican national Rogelio Rodriguez-Jaimes who allegedly has a prior conviction for unlawful transportation of firearms.

Authorities also allegedly found Mexican nationals Armando Almaguer-Trejo and Eva Karina Gomez-Salazar in the McAllen area without legal authorization to be in the United States. According to the criminal complaints, Almaguer-Trejo has a prior conviction for DUI with a child, while Gomez-Salazar was previously convicted of drug trafficking, according to their respective charges.

All four had just been removed during various months this year, according to the charges. If convicted of felony reentry after removal, all face up to 20 years in federal prison.

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.