U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico Immigration and Border Crimes Report During Government Shutdown

ALBUQUERQUE - Today, the United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for the period of September 29 through November 14, which encompasses the duration of the federal government shutdown. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, with assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies.

In the seven-week period, the United States Attorney's Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:

• 329 individuals were charged with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
• 38 individuals were charged with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
• 240 individuals were charged with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
• 340 individuals were charged with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.

Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for drug trafficking, child sexual abuse, aggravated kidnapping, DUI, aggravated assault, conspiracy to defraud the United States, larceny, alien smuggling, burglary, participation in organized criminal activity, child endangerment, and prior immigration offenses.

These 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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.

Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. 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 District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.