SDTX continues efforts to secure southern border with 443 more cases filed

HOUSTON - Another 446 people have been charged in support of Operation Tack Back America from April 10-16, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.

A total of 169 individuals face illegal entry charges, while 242 allegedly re-entered the United States after prior removal. An additional 33 people are accused of engaging in human smuggling, while the remaining three cases relate to firearms crimes. Many also have prior convictions for narcotics, violent crime, sexual offenses, other immigration violations and more.

Among the new cases in recent days are two men from the McAllen area who are allegedly involved in human smuggling. The charges allege Yahaniel Somoza, Houston, picked up illegal aliens on at least two occasions, transporting some to a local mechanic shop. Somoza had allegedly taken some of their cell phones and/or instructed them to eat only twice a day. Law enforcement executed a subsequent search warrant and discovered 15 illegal aliens at the mechanic shop, according to the criminal complaint. In a separate case, Edinburg resident Fidel Cantu-Mendez had allegedly picked up several illegal aliens near the Rio Grande in Escobares. The charges allege he drove recklessly and told the occupants to run once the vehicle stopped. A foot chase ensued, according to the complaint. Authorities allegedly apprehended Cantu-Mendez as well as 13 illegal aliens near the vehicle. Somoza and Cantu-Mendez face up to 10 and five years in federal prison, respectively, upon conviction.

Also charged this week are Andrei Eduardo Mayorga Oliva and Julian Flores-Molina who allegedly reentered the United States without authorization. Oliva is a Honduran male found near Alamo, according to his charges. The criminal complaint alleges he has a prior conviction for carnal knowledge of a child and had been sentenced to three years in prison before his removal in May 2025. Law enforcement encountered Mexican national Julian Flores-Molina near Donna, despite having been previously removed in June 2024, according to the allegations. The charges allege Oliva has prior convictions for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated robbery, unauthorized use of a vehicle and illegal reentry and had served substantial time in prison. If convicted, they both could receive up to 20 years in federal prison.

In addition to the new cases, Operation Pick-Off efforts have continued with more people taken into custody in the Houston area. This SDTX initiative began as a multi-agency immigration and violent crime enforcement effort targeting criminal illegal aliens on state probation or supervision. It was originally announced in August 2025 in the Rio Grande Valley with federal charges against nearly 70 illegal aliens. Most had allegedly returned to the country after being previously removed, only to commit other crimes. The overall effort has since expanded to all divisions and resulted in numerous arrests of foreign nationals from countries including Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and more with various convictions, including murder. Operation Pick-Off operates on a continuous basis, with authorities engaging in rolling arrests and prosecutions.

Also of note this week was the sentencing of Mexican national Francisco Gerardo Garcia-Arzola. He was ordered to serve a 30-month sentence in Brownsville after illegally reentering the country for a third time. He was first removed in 2012, then again in 2024. However, authorities discovered him in the country illegally and took him into custody in June 2025. Garcia-Arzola has multiple previous convictions for possession of and manufacturing/delivering a controlled substance.

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.