Another massive week: 360 more people face charges as the Southern District strengthens border security efforts

HOUSTON - A total of 358 more cases have been filed in immigration and border security-related matters from Sept. 12-18, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

A total of 179 people face charges of illegal entry, while another 154 individuals face charges of felony reentry after removal. Most have felony convictions for narcotics, violent crime, immigration crimes and more. An additional 21 people have been charged with human smuggling, while the remaining six have been charged with firearms offenses, assaults on federal officers and other immigration crimes.

One of those charged is Penitas resident Diego Masiel Torres, who allegedly impeded federal law enforcement during an Aug. 27 consensual worksite enforcement operation in Harlingen. Court documents allege Torres tried to pull an officer away from apprehending an illegal alien. If convicted, he faces up to eight years in federal prison.

"The Southern District of Texas is committed to fully enforcing our country's immigration laws, and anyone who tries to stop a federal agent from carrying out this mission will be held accountable before a judge and jury," said Ganjei. "So, the message is simple. Don't end up on the wrong end of a federal indictment - keep your hands to yourself."

Among those charged this week are Gonzalo Alvarado-Cortez and Enedino Nieves-Tomas, both Mexican nationals. According to court documents, authorities discovered Alvarado-Cortez near Edinburg after his March 2019 removal and Nieves-Tomas near Roma after his October 2023 removal. Both men have prior convictions for illegal reentry and face up to 20 years in federal prison, if convicted.

Charges also allege Jose Manuel Lopez-Hernandez and Marcos Joel Castro-Lopez, both Mexican nationals, were found near Alamo after removals in July 2024 and February 2012, respectively. Lopez-Hernandez has a prior conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine, while Castro-Lopez has a prior conviction for aggravated sexual assault, according to court documents.

In Houston, Mexican national Manuel Albert Aragon-Hernandez, 39, was sentenced to 44 months in federal prison for illegally reentering the country. Aragon-Hernandez, who has multiple prior felony convictions including theft and drug possession, was first removed in 2010 and returned illegally three times. Authorities discovered him again during a traffic stop for speeding and found methamphetamine and marijuana in his vehicle. At sentencing, the court also heard evidence that he fired a weapon while intoxicated.

Also sentenced this week was Mexican national Fidel Ramirez-Mancilla, 39, who received 15 months for illegal reentry. He has a prior conviction for aggravated felony of assault with the intent to commit mayhem, rape, sodomy or oral copulation. He was removed from the United States in 2011, but authorities encountered him again May 19.

These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

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 history, including 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.