The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona charged more than 225 people with immigration-related crimes in a weeklong operation. Between March 1 and March 7, authorities reported 92 cases of illegal re-entry and 120 cases of illegal entry into the United States. Additionally, 12 cases involved 15 people connected to smuggling operations in Arizona, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Authorities focused on protecting officers, including charging one person with allegedly assaulting a Border Patrol agent. Multiple federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, ICE Homeland Security Investigation, U.S. Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, supported the week's operations, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Gerardo Tejada-Calleja was involved in an incident near Vamori, Arizona, where he allegedly grabbed a Border Patrol agent's radio and gun belt during an apprehension attempt before fleeing and later being captured. In a separate case, Edgar Guadalupe Jimenez-Aguilar is accused of operating a Phoenix stash house for illegal aliens and was found with approximately 297 grams of black tar heroin during a vehicle stop in Mesa. The criminal complaints "raises no inference of guilt," and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court, as stated by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
