Federal authorities in the Southern District of Texas have filed 316 cases related to immigration and border security offenses between November 28 and December 4, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Of those charged, 84 individuals face accusations of illegal entry into the United States, while 204 are charged with felony reentry after removal. Most defendants reportedly have previous convictions for crimes such as narcotics violations, violent offenses, or other immigration-related crimes. The remaining cases include charges against 28 people for human smuggling and two for firearms offenses and other immigration-related violations.
Criminal complaints allege that three Mexican nationals—Jesus Hernandez-Gomez, Jose Martinez-Arrevalo, and Ascencion Avellaneda-Rodriguez—attempted to reenter the country unlawfully within five months of their most recent removals. All three allegedly have prior felony convictions for illegal reentry and were found in the United States without legal authorization.
Additional complaints involve Diana Aurora Bueno-Zuniga and Julio Guerra-Silva, both Mexican nationals who had previously been removed on various dates between 2007 and 2019. Authorities allege they were found in the McAllen area this week; Bueno-Zuniga has a prior conviction for harboring an alien for financial gain, while Guerra-Silva was previously sentenced for possession with intent to distribute nearly 20 kilograms of marijuana.
If convicted on these charges, all defendants could face up to 20 years in federal prison.
In another case announced this week, Carlos Alberto Garcia-Guajardo was convicted by a Laredo federal jury on all 12 counts brought against him. Prosecutors said he sold cocaine and multiple firearms—including machine guns—during a month-long undercover investigation. Garcia-Guajardo and Fernando Patino negotiated future deals through these sales and also fired weapons indiscriminately in their neighborhood. A search warrant at Garcia-Guajardo’s residence revealed scales, cash in various denominations, several firearms, and crack cocaine stored near items belonging to young children. He had previously been removed from the country twice and now faces up to life in prison.
Alejandro Ramirez-Carranza was sentenced to five years in federal prison following his conviction for transporting aliens into the United States illegally, illegal reentry after removal, and being an alien in possession of a firearm. Authorities observed him acting as a river guide during a smuggling operation near the Rio Grande; one person reported that relatives paid Ramirez-Carranza to bring him across by boat.
Mario Alberto Almanzan-Mata received a sentence of six years (72 months) after being caught illegally reentering the country for a third time following his most recent removal on May 27; he was discovered again July 7 in Mission. At sentencing, evidence described behavior that posed significant danger to community members.
These prosecutions involved cooperation from multiple federal agencies including Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms & Explosives (ATF), as well as state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases fall under Operation Take Back America—a national effort led by the Department of Justice aiming to address illegal immigration issues by targeting cartels and transnational criminal organizations while seeking to protect communities from violent crime perpetrators.
According to district leadership: "Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district." They noted enhanced enforcement at both border areas and within district interiors has led to arrests involving unlawful activity or serious criminal histories—including human trafficking or violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas is among the busiest offices nationwide; it covers over nine million residents across more than forty counties within approximately forty-four thousand square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys operate out of seven divisions—Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen,and Laredo—and work closely with law enforcement at every level on federal crime prosecution efforts.
Authorities emphasized: "An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct not evidence." Defendants remain presumed innocent unless proven guilty through due process.
