Rachel C. Hernandez Acting United States Attorney for the District of Arizona | U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona
During the week of March 15 to March 21, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona charged 217 individuals with immigration-related offenses. The charges include 91 cases of illegal re-entry and 103 cases of illegal entry into the United States. Additionally, there were 15 cases against 23 individuals involved in smuggling illegal aliens within Arizona.
The enforcement operations were supported by several federal law enforcement agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
One notable case is United States v. Juan Antonio Ruiz. On March 18, 2025, Ruiz was indicted for Naturalization Fraud under Title 18 U.S.C. § 1425(a). He had previously pleaded guilty to sexual offenses involving minors but provided false statements during his naturalization process.
In another case, United States v. Jose Alejandro Medrano-Renteria, Medrano-Renteria was arrested for Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit after a vehicle pursuit ended with him hiding in a tree. He admitted to being paid $1,000 per alien smuggled.
A third case involves United States v. Tracy Ann Cook; Alex Puella; Yesenia Monique Ortiz, where all three were charged with Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit after being stopped by Tohono O'odham Police Officers.
"A criminal complaint and criminal indictment are simply methods by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt," noted the release. "An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt."
