Last week, authorities in the Southern District of Texas filed 294 cases related to border-related offenses, U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the cases included charges such as illegal entry, felony reentry after removal, human smuggling, and assaults on federal officers.
Among those charged, 87 faced illegal entry counts, while 182 were indicted for felony reentry, many with prior felony convictions including narcotics and violent offenses. Near Rio Grande City, Mexican nationals Josadad De La Cruz-Perez and Jose Yuriel Tovias-Alvarez were charged with illegal reentry after previous removals. As per the U.S. Department of Justice, if convicted, each could face up to 20 years in federal prison.
The filings also highlighted the sentencing of Juan De Dios Aguero, a leader of an alien smuggling ring in Laredo. He received a 57-month federal prison sentence for organizing multiple failed smuggling attempts, including one in which 35 individuals, including minors, were found inside a tractor-trailer in near 100-degree heat, with many suffering from heat exhaustion. Aguero also rented the U-Haul used to transport the individuals from a stash house.
These actions are part of an initiative called Operation Take Back America, aimed at addressing illegal immigration and disrupting cartel and criminal organization activities. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, which covers 43 counties and serves more than nine million residents, is leading the effort. Prosecutors in the district work closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute these federal offenses.
