The Western District of Texas bears the weight of immigration scrutiny once more, as federal prosecutors have filed 295 new cases concerning immigration violations. According to an announcement by Acting United States Attorney Margaret Leachman, the period between May 9 and May 15 saw a significant uptick in legal actions aimed at curtailing illegal entries and related offenses, as reported by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Notable among the defendants were Juan Jose Medrano-Escobedo and Rosendo Dominguez-Morales, both Mexican nationals, who were arrested near the Texas National Defense Area, apprehended less than half a mile from the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry in El Paso. According to statements obtained by the Justice Department, Medrano-Escobedo has faced removal from the United States twice with the last occurrence on July 30, 2024, and bears a criminal history that includes three felony convictions. Similarly charged, Dominguez-Morales, who was removed following an assault conviction, was also found breaching defense property regulations and faces counts of illegal re-entry.
In an unrelated event, U.S. citizens Jared Isai Ramirez and Jesus Alberto Soriano found themselves accused of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens within El Paso's confines. A criminal complaint obtained from the Justice Department reveals that after Ramsey collided with a rock wall and attempted to flee, both he and his passengers, identified as illegal aliens, were taken into custody. Soriano, who served as a lookout, stopped his vehicle and, according to allegations, had agreed to scout the area for law enforcement during the smuggling scheme. The vehicle incident, punctuated by a chase ending near a rock wall, led to their apprehension and subsequent charges.
Other cases included Elisandro Enriquez-Sanchez, a Mexican national with a voluminous criminal record, who, while at Bastrop County Jail, was charged with illegal re-entry. Having been removed from the U.S. on four occasions, Enriquez-Sanchez’s rap sheet comprises multiple DWIs and a history of violence, including assault charges. Honduran national Angel Daniel Vasquez, arrested in Presidio County, also joins the ranks of those facing illegal re-entry charges. Following his fourth removal to Honduras in May 2024, Vasquez's conviction record for assault and past immigration violations paints a persistent picture of the struggle against illegal immigration, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
