Another week of hundreds of cases filed in Southern District border-security efforts

HOUSTON - The Southern District of Texas has charged another 230 individuals for immigration and border security-related matters from Aug. 14-20.

A total of 161 criminal complaints were filed for felony reentry after prior removal, while another 34 people face charges of illegal entry. Most of those charged with illegal entry have prior felony convictions for offenses such as narcotics, violent crime, and immigration crimes, among others. In addition, authorities charged 27 individuals with human smuggling, including 15 who are themselves illegal aliens. The remaining case charged this week relate to other immigration crimes.

Those charged with felony reentry include a Dominican national with prior convictions involving violent crime, drugs, and a machine gun. Law enforcement discovered Wandy Emilio Castillo-Arias near Roma with no authorization to be in the United States. Authorities also found Mexican national Luis Armando Arroyo-Garcia in the same area. He allegedly has a prior conviction for sale or distribution of a controlled substance.

If convicted of felony reentry after removal, both face up to 20 years in 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, 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.