During the week of August 23 to August 29, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona charged 233 individuals with immigration-related crimes. The charges included 107 cases involving illegal re-entry into the United States and 108 cases related to illegal entry. In addition, federal prosecutors filed 16 cases against 18 people accused of smuggling undocumented immigrants within or into Arizona.
The office reported that these prosecutions were supported by several federal 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).
Recent notable cases include United States v. Raymundo Barretero-Fernandez and United States v. Jose Luis Nunez-Sandoval.
In one case, Raymundo Barretero-Fernandez, a Mexican citizen, was charged on August 27 with illegal re-entry after having previously been convicted in Oklahoma for conspiracy to possess heroin with intent to distribute and being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. He had served a prison sentence before being removed from the country but allegedly returned without authorization.
Another case involved Jose Luis Nunez-Sandoval, also a Mexican citizen. On August 29 he was charged with transportation of an illegal alien and illegal re-entry after Border Patrol agents stopped him on Interstate 40 traveling with two passengers who were determined to be unlawfully present in the country.
These actions are part of Operation Take Back America, which aims to use Department of Justice resources to counter illegal immigration and combat criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking and other offenses.
According to authorities: “Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).”
Officials noted that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
