SDTX adds 206 more cases in ongoing border enforcement efforts

HOUSTON - A total of 211 individuals have been charged in immigration and border security-related crimes from May 8-14, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.

The Southern District filed a total of 49 criminal complaints for illegal entry, while another 133 people face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. Most of those individuals have previous convictions, such as narcotics, immigration offenses, violent crimes and more. The cases also include 26 people allegedly involved in human smuggling, while the remaining matters relate to other immigration crimes and firearms charges.

As part of the newly filed complaints, two Mexican nationals have been charged with illegal reentry into the country. According to the charges, authorities previously removed German Omar Elbir-Palma in December 2025 before discovering him near Escobares this week. A separate case alleges law enforcement discovered Alejandro Perez-Miramontes near Hidalgo. According to their respective complaints, both men have prior felony convictions for illegal reentry. Perez-Miramontes also has multiple prior convictions for burglary, while Elbier-Palma was previously convicted of domestic assault. If convicted of the new illegal reentry charges, they each face up to 20 years in federal prison.

Also announced this week was the sentencing of two illegal alien felons for unlawfully reentering into the country. Mexican nationals Jose Alcantar Esquivel Moreno and Esequiel Rueda-Ramirez received 54 and 48 months, respectively. Both have been removed from the country multiple times. Moreno has a previous felony conviction for aggravated assault-family violence, while Rueda-Ramirez has prior convictions for evading arrest, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession with intent to deliver cocaine and illegal reentry.

Also of note was the sentencing of Mexican national Luis Miguel Sanchez-Martinez in Houston. The court imposed a 42-month sentence, noting his dangerous behavior and lack of respect for the law. Sanchez-Martinez has multiple convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol and was first removed in 2020.

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.