Operation Take Back America efforts result in another 476 individuals charged in Southern District of Texas

HOUSTON - A total of 473 cases have been filed in immigration and related matters from Feb. 20-26 in continuing enforcement actions to protect the southern border, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

The cases include charges against 23 people allegedly involved in human smuggling. The Southern District filed a total of 202 criminal complaints for illegal entry, while another 244 people face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. Most of those individuals have prior felonies such as narcotics, violent crime, immigration crimes and more. The remaining cases charged this week relate to other immigration crimes.

Among the new cases are three men from different countries, all who are charged with felony reentry after removal. El Salvadorian Joel Antonio Alvarez-Reyes and Mexican national Arturo Corona-Santiago both have convictions for burglary, according to their charges, and had previously been removed from the United States. Law enforcement allegedly found these men in the McAllen area without legal authorization to be in the country. Also charged is Ariel Lazaro Hernandez-Misiara, Honduras, who has a conviction for cocaine trafficking, according to his complaint. Authorities allegedly found him near Roma despite having been removed Jan. 2. If convicted, each illegal alien faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

In addition to the new cases, a federal jury in Corpus Christi found 63-year-old Penitas resident Ludivina Vasquez-Salinas guilty of transporting an illegal alien further into the United States. On May 7, 2025, authorities encountered her driving a white SUV and observed movement beneath a blanket on the rear floorboard of her car. Vasquez-Salinas initially claimed only she and her daughter were in the vehicle but later admitted she knew an illegal alien was present and that she was transporting them past the checkpoint. The jury deliberated for only 25 minutes before finding her guilty as charged.

In Houston, two illegal alien felons were ordered to federal prison for unlawfully reentering into the country. Raymundo Pecina-Lopez and Samuel Moreno-Soto received 39 months and 18 months, respectively. Both Mexican nationals have previous convictions for assault of a family member and narcotics offenses.

Honduran nationals Elmer Adalid Alonzo-Zelaya and Cristian Jose Ayestas-Argueta were also ordered to prison for illegal reentry after removal. Both men have prior convictions for illegal reentry but were recently discovered unlawfully in the United States again. Alonzo-Zelaya has convictions for aggravated assault and obstruction of an officer and driving without a valid license, while Ayestas-Argueta has convictions for assault of a family member and trespassing. Also sentenced in Houston was Mexican national Edgar Jaramillo-Escobar. He had been previously convicted of illegal reentry into the United States and assault causing bodily injury.

Two other sentencings occurred in Corpus Christi. Mexican nationals Serafin Garcia-Rodriguez and Hugo Balderas Juarez both have previous convictions for illegally entering and reentering the United States and drug charges. Juarez also has a prior conviction of driving under the influence. Both have now been ordered to federal prison for the new illegal reentry charges.

In Houston, Veronica Michelle Torres has pleaded guilty to illegal reentry after being discovered illegally present in the country. According to records, she has various felony convictions such as credit card abuse and unlawful carrying of a weapon and now faces up to 10 years in prison following her plea of illegal reentry.

These cases were 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 nine 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.