Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California have filed 90 border-related cases this week. These include charges such as bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The Southern District of California is one of the busiest federal districts due to a high volume of border-related crimes. It includes San Diego and Imperial counties, which share a 140-mile border with Mexico. This area also hosts the San Ysidro Port of Entry, known as the world's busiest land border crossing.
In addition to these reactive cases, this district handles proactive prosecutions related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking, and national security.
Several arrests were made this week:
On June 20th, Jose Natalio Flores Avila was charged with importing controlled substances after Customs and Border Protection officers discovered methamphetamine and heroin concealed in his vehicle at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
On June 22nd, Jason Miguel Byrd-Gallegos and Jose Ricardo Ayala faced charges for bringing in aliens for financial gain when their boat was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard off Point Loma. Additional passengers on board were charged with attempted entry after deportation.
On June 23rd, Fernando Carillo Ramos was arrested for being a deported alien found in the U.S., having been previously deported in December 2024.
A recent case involved Omar Esteban Garcia-Rodriguez who was sentenced to 18 months for illegal reentry into the U.S., having previously been convicted of assault with a deadly weapon/great bodily injury in 2020.
These prosecutions align with Operation Take Back America priorities which focus on immigration violations involving criminal activity. Federal authorities prioritize investigations against drug traffickers and those threatening community safety.
The immigration cases received support from various federal law enforcement agencies including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol among others.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
