Over the course of three days leading up to Memorial Day weekend, 60 individuals identified as illegal aliens entered guilty pleas for trespassing into designated National Defense Areas along the U.S.-Mexico border, according to the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas. This latest set of convictions, reported on May 23 by the U.S. Attorney's Office, pushes the tally of such admissions to 120 for May.
Adding further pressure to an already tense situation, a total of 133 new cases have been instituted within just the past week, signaling a relentless pursuit by federal prosecutors to clamp down on illegal crossings in the El Paso Division. Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman's office spotlighted individuals such as Mexican nationals Gustavo Ramos-Solorzano and Enrique Arenas-Garcia, who were caught violating these border regulations through their repeated and unsuccessful attempts to remain on U.S. soil after previous deportations.
Under Title 50 United States Code (USC) 797 and Title 18 USC 1382, stiff penalties await those illegally breaching areas considered crucial for national security. These sections govern unauthorized incursions onto military and defense property, which includes the border zones designated as National Defense Areas. This crackdown comes as part of "Operation Take Back America," a sweeping federal initiative bent on staunching illegal immigration, dismantling cartels, and securing American communities from organized crime and violence, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
