During the week of June 21 to June 27, 2025, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona filed immigration-related criminal charges against 164 individuals. The cases included 84 instances of illegal re-entry into the United States and 71 cases of illegal entry. Additionally, nine individuals were charged with smuggling illegal aliens within the District of Arizona.
The charges resulted from efforts by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Notable cases during this period include:
In "United States v. Jesus Alfred Salazar-Ruiz," Border Patrol Agents attempted to stop Salazar-Ruiz on June 22, 2025. He evaded arrest initially but was later apprehended along with three passengers who were in the country illegally. Salazar-Ruiz was charged with Transportation of an Illegal Alien for Profit.
On June 24, in "United States v. Miguel Angel Mezo-Antele," agents stopped Mezo-Antele on Interstate 40 in Yuma, Arizona. He was transporting four Mexican citizens without legal documents from New Mexico through Arizona to California and Oregon. Mezo-Antele faced charges for Transportation of an Illegal Alien.
In "United States v. Dalesio Hernandez-Bautista," Hernandez-Bautista was charged on June 27 with Re-entry of a Removed Alien after previously being deported following a manslaughter conviction in Pinal County, Arizona.
The initiative is part of Operation Take Back America aimed at combating illegal immigration and transnational crime by using resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A criminal complaint is a method to charge someone with criminal activity without implying guilt until proven beyond reasonable doubt.
For more information about these efforts or other activities by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, visit their website.
