The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona announced that 173 individuals were charged with immigration-related offenses over the week of December 6 through last Friday. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the charges include 93 cases of illegal re-entry and 73 cases of illegal entry into the United States.
The operations also included seven cases against individuals accused of smuggling illegal aliens in Arizona. The enforcement actions were carried out in coordination with federal agencies, including ICE ERO, HSI, U.S. Border Patrol, and the FBI.
Highlighted cases from the week include Mario Alberto Herrera Jr., who was charged with transporting an illegal alien after an Arizona DPS trooper stopped him on I-10 and found two undocumented passengers from Guatemala in his vehicle. Another case involved Miguel Hernandez-Cortez, charged with re-entry after being removed following a March 2015 deportation linked to a prior felony conviction.
The press release notes that a criminal complaint is a formal accusation and that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The U.S. Attorney’s Office described the enforcement actions as part of ongoing efforts to address illegal immigration and related offenses within the District of Arizona.
